7 Day Forecast: 30 Apr 2006

Now reading:

Finding Serenity: Anti-Heroes, Lost Shepherds, and Space Hookers in Joss Whedon's Firefly
Buffy: Obsidian Fate by Diana G. Gallagher

64/294...so far, this isn't doing much for me. As always, since it's a relatively quick read, I'll see if it turns around. But coming on the heels of "Finding Serenity", this feels even lighter than usual for a tie-in novel! "Finding Serenity" comes highly recommended, BTW!


Now playing:

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King - about 40%...I'm really enjoying this game!!!
Final Fantasy V - about 20%...not much progress, since I'm heavy into DQVIII...
Final Fantasy X-2 - about 82%...kinda on hold for now
Kingdom Hearts - about 8% done...kinda on hold for now

7 Day Forecast (through 07 May 2006):

5/01: Invasion 1.19: "The Son Also Rises"
5/01: West Wing 7.20: "The Last Hurrah"
5/02: Prison Break 1.20: "Tonight"
5/02: 24 5.20: "Day 5: 2AM - 3AM"
5/03: Medium 2.20: "The Darkness is Light Enough"
5/04: Alias 5.13: "30 Seconds"
5/04: Lost 2.20: "Two for the Road"
5/05: Invasion 1.20: "Run and Gun"
5/05: Ghost Hunters 2.20: "03 May 2006"
5/06: Supernatural 1.22: "Devil's Trap"
5/06: Smallville 5.21: "Oracle"

The Podcast is Up!

The introductory episode for my new podcast is up and running! Come by the main website ( www.entil2001.com ) and click on the link. Hopefully it will be up on iTunes before things really heat up...

Supernatural 1.21: "Salvation"

Written by Raelle Tucker and Sera Gamble
Directed by Robert Singer


I love mutli-part finales. In fact, shows like “Farscape”, “Battlestar: Galactica”, and “Lost” delivered massive season finales for the same reason that this is a huge event: it’s almost impossible to wrap up a season arc of any weight in the space of an hour. It’s all about delivering a more complex resolution. A good show will use a big finale as a serious moment of transition for everyone involved, and there’s every reason to believe that “Supernatural” is following suit.

Better yet, everything that happens in this episode is the direct consequence of what has come before. Dean’s character has taken quite the turn, to the point where he will openly question his father when the circumstances warrant. And Sam’s abilities, long sitting on the sidelines, flare up in a logical manner that hints at possible answers to the demonic riddle. This seeming predictability takes nothing away from the plot itself, because sometimes it’s even better when you see the train wreck coming.

Someone on the writing staff must have loved “Serenity”, because Meg’s tactics are practically textbook Operative moves. Want to force the enemy to come out of hiding, derailing his intentions in the same moment? Start killing off every ally and making sure that consequence is communicated. I liked Meg a lot more in this episode. Maybe it was just the fact that she delivered her dialogue with a bit more decadent and seductive evil, but I also think the writers took pains to avoid lines that were too cheesy.

Another show might have used this penultimate episode as pure setup, with very little in the way of actual confrontation. But this is “Supernatural”, so that’s not quite the way it works. Sam has his vision, John chooses to make a seriously stupid gamble, and in short order, things go straight to Hell. As useful as it was to force Sam and Dean to face off against the demon alone, as a nice bookend to the season arc, John’s decision doesn’t quite make sense.

As much as the “risk death to save my friends” mentality might be understandable, it doesn’t mesh well with John’s insistence that this be the end of the conflict. Frankly, if John is willing to put his sons in danger (and then ignore it when it seems that one of them is dead) to ensure that the demon is destroyed, then why wouldn’t he be willing to sacrifice some of the other hunters? As harsh as it might sound, if the demon remains but the hunters live, how does that help anyone? On the other hand, if the demon is killed at the cost of some of the hunters, the tradeoff is more than justified. (After all, Meg can only kill a few in the time before the demon is confronted!)

But things don’t go as planned, of course, so there’s plenty of time to see how it will play out in the actual finale. The demon is still out there, but Sam and Deam have broken the pattern. How will that change the situation? Meg and her apparent brother have John, and it’s not looking good for him, though John could be used to draw out the brothers. All in all, a great start to what should be the season finale. Let’s hope CW makes the right call!

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

Final Rating: 9/10

Smallville 5.20: "Fade"

Written by Turi Meyer and Al Septien
Directed by Terrence O’Hara

I’ve said before that one of the elements missing since “Reckoning” was an exploration of Clark’s dark side. As seen on shows like “Angel”, specifically the second season, it was demonstrated that a character can slip into dark territory without the artificial means of a spell or device. Angel slipped in his morality without losing his soul; so could Clark, the white knight, be tempted by immorality without touching red kryptonite.

Unfortunately, that hasn’t really happened. Clark has been tempted here and there, but never pushed into taking a step he might regret in a lasting way. And that’s unfortunate, because it falls into one of the pitfalls of the Superman character as a whole. No character is fun without flaws to be exploited.

This episode could have much better if Clark had been tempted to let Graham take a few shots without stepping in the way. Or short of that, if Clark had accepted a couple of those gifts that Graham offered. Anything other than the same old holier-than-thou attitude that Clark has had since day one.

Granted, Clark plays the angry-ex very well, and as usual, he manages to completely overlook Chloe’s feelings on the subject. I was ready to slap the boy in this episode, because she’s put up with way too much of his crap over the years. And for all that Clark is angry with Lana and Lex for getting together so quickly, he really has no right to decide anymore. It’s within that jealousy that Clark’s dark side could have slipped out.

Because Erica is the only one of the young women on the cast willing to get all but naked on a regular basis, one course she’s the one in the shower and the one being chased by Graham. Though Clark and Lois have seen each other in the buff enough times to generate some level of interest, it’s still nice to see them at odds. I really don’t like her, but she does make a convenient target (and one the audience would love to see taken down a few pegs).

I actually like Lex and Lana together. Wouldn’t it be fun if Lana really fell under his influence and went a little bad? Enough to start helping Lex put the pieces together? Anyway, as usual, Lex is playing all sides to his own advantage. He seems to be helping Fine with this supervirus, but at the same time, he’s tracking Fine and trying to find out Fine’s true purpose.

This will no doubt tie into the season finale, but I’m more than a little concerned. So far, the season hasn’t been coming together very well, especially post-“Reckoning”. In fact, this season’s arc is making the fourth season arc look substantial in comparison. The final two episodes could change my mind, but as things stand, if the series might end soon, there’s very little indication of a strong conclusion.

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

Final Rating: 6/10

Ghost Hunters 2.19: "26 Apr 2006"

Case #1: Hilary’s House, NJ
Case #2: Hartford Conservatory


This is the swing episode for the “back nine”, and things are beginning to heat up. We have another situation where the cases are drastically different depending on the circumstances. The first case, taking place at a private home, yields some interesting evidence. The second case, taking place at a public building, yields a lot of nothing. The second season has gone a long way towards demonstrating how most places that claim to be haunted are banking on rumors and urban legend.

OK, that’s a gross generalization, but it puts the lie to shows like “Most Haunted”, which seems to highlight a “haunted” historical or public building with plenty of “activity” every single episode. When a private residence is involved, it comes down to two simple things: the stability of the individual and the evidence. A place already claiming to be haunted is another thing entirely.

I have to say, Brian annoyed me a lot less this time around. Perhaps the editors weren’t trying so hard to manufacture storylines. Actually, they spent a lot more time with Donna in this episode, which I find a lot more preferable. I thought Donna was very cute in this episode, especially when she kept hearing the piano sound! For that matter, I wonder if she’s changed her look, because she seemed different. (And by that, I mean better!)

On to the first case:

I live in New Jersey, and I’ve run into enough odd phenomena in old houses (just in the places I’ve lived!) to give this homeowner the benefit of the doubt. I was especially struck by the fact that the husband wasn’t on camera, though Hilary mentioned that he had seen some of what she described. That suggested to me that they really believed in what they saw. I wasn’t entirely convinced by the quality of the EVP, but I did make out “We’re coming” in both recordings. Taken with the odd noises and personal experiences of the homeowners, that’s not exactly comforting! But as Jason said, it’s only the beginning in terms of pulling together evidence.

Second case;

Granted, it’s not like the Hartford Conservatory is running around claiming to be haunted already, but the place was screaming for a good debunking. It was fun to see Donna react to the sound of the piano notes, but it was even better to see how quickly they tracked down the source. It’s amazing how easily some anecdotal evidence can be dismissed with a little digging and observation.

Chill Factor: 7/10

Alias 5.12: "There's Only One Sydney Bristow"

Written by Drew Goddard
Directed by Robert M. Williams

In which Will Tippin is abducted from federal protection by Anna Espinosa as part of an elaborate scheme to convince Sydney to come out of maternity leave, while Sloane cuts a final deal…


Status Report

Now that the writing has been on the wall for a while, it’s clear that the producers have imposed their own mandate: find a way to make sense of the mythology, tie up loose ends, and integrate the fifth season into the larger tapestry. This episode gives that process a little more progress, as the focus shifts to one of the oldest dangling plot threads of the series.

While the fourth season took the “Page 47” prophecy and attached a few new elements to it, primarily in terms of Nadia’s role in the story, the underlying question of Sydney as Rambaldi’s “Chosen One” was never fully explored. The Rambaldi endgame described in the fourth season did make a certain amount of sense: a means of pacifying the world’s population with a select few, possibly a reborn Rambaldi himself, ruling over the sheep.

So the implication was relatively clear. The Mueller device was designed as something of a control mechanism, but one that could be abused by the wrong people. Yelena Derevko was the wrong person, and thus the true goal of the Rambaldi endgame was never achieved. And since the fourth season arc never addressed what the “greatest power” was supposed to be, beyond some vague possibility that “peace” might be the answer (as per the third season), there’s plenty of room to maneuver.

This episode raises an interesting possibility. The interpretation of the Rambaldi prophecy up to this point has been that Sydney or some relative thereof is the woman in the prophecy. However, as the writers now point out, there’s been a history of individuals modified on the genetic level to “become” someone else. Alison Doran is the most obvious example. It’s the equivalent of a personality transplant; the body is replicated, while the mind remains intact.

The result is a neat extension of one of the series’ first true examples of symmetry. Anna Espinosa was first introduced as Sydney’s equal but opposite. There was every reason to believe that Anna would become a recurring thorn in Sydney’s side, and once Anna was connected to the Magnific Order of Rambaldi, the connections were there to be exploited. For various reasons, that never happened, but now it feels completely natural that Anna become Sydney’s true dark reflection.

By the end of this episode, Sydney’s equal but opposite has all the hallmarks (or so we would assume) of Rambaldi’s prophecy. Thus the question is raised: is Sydney really the Chosen One? Or if she is, is it possible for the Chosen One status to be pre-empted? One is reminded of the question raised on “Angel” when Spike also became ensouled; when a vague term is used to describe the key player in a prophecy, it’s easy to make assumptions.

Whatever the case, there’s now someone with all the right stuff and every reason to render “the greatest power unto utter desolation”. And conveniently, this brings up a very good point. Why would Prophet Five (now firmly established, in the most natural way, to be connected to the ongoing Rambaldi movement) need the actual manuscript page? That implies that the information itself is not the most important thing; something unique to the page is necessary for the final endgame.

This episode also strongly suggests that Isabelle (or however Sydney spells it) doesn’t have much to do with Rambaldi’s endgame. There something that the Horizon and this latest gambit with Anna must relate to, but Sydney’s daughter doesn’t seem to be included. That may change in the near future, since there’s not a lot of time to play things out, but that would suggest that the Covenant’s goals in the third season (specifically, the plan to resurrect Rambaldi) isn’t coming back into play through Isabelle.

Beyond the exciting connections to the larger mythology, there were other highlights to the episode. For one thing, Will Tippin returns in a relatively logical way, and it feels like he never left. Will wasn’t always the best character in the world, but he was an important part of Sydney’s support system. Many feel that the series took a bad turn when Will and Francie were out of the picture, and Will’s return in this episode (which feels like a solid final farewell, without the usual tragedy) demonstrates that there is some truth to that.

Also, Drew Goddard delivers some great comedic moments in a script that could have been bogged down by the dramatic elements. Goddard understands that dynamic very well, thanks to his time under Joss Whedon on “Buffy” and “Angel”, and his writing continues to excel. The result is a versatile script that covers a lot of ground without stretching it too far. This was easily one of the best episodes of the season for that very reason.

Gina Torres is always good as Anna, and as usual, respect must be given to Amy Acker for her disturbing turn as Peyton. She plays amoral very well, but more importantly, she looks incredibly hot in the process (check her out when she’s holding Will or in that jacket at the end!) For that matter, it was great to see both Sydney and Rachel in the sexy outfits, and Rachel actually demonstrated competence. It’s about time!

Not everything was on the mark, but most of the problems were the result of the network’s moronic interference earlier in the season. Sloane’s involvement with Prophet Five was dictated by how it was treated previously, and that didn’t include Rambaldi. Yet now it is revealed (as one had to expect) that P5 is directly related to the Rambaldi endgame. (Indeed, those connections have always been assumed by this reviewer.)

But that brings up a bit of a logic problem. It’s one thing for everyone at APO to assume that the Rambaldi business is over and done with, though they should have recognized the similarities between previous situations and the P5 activities. But that can be ignored easily enough. What’s a lot harder to understand is P5’s decision not to consult or discuss Rambaldi with Sloane.

After all, if P5 is the evolution of the elements that comprised the Covenant, Yelena’s organization, the Alliance of 12, and so many other groups over the past 30 years, they would have a vested interest in knowing exactly what Sloane’s organization had done during the same time period. Even if they knew the details already, why wouldn’t Rambaldi come up even once? Especially since the cure for Nadia would logically come from a Rambaldi source?

Even so, this was an episode filled with all the classic “Alias” elements, mixed with the best aspects of the recent seasons. Sure, the shot of the P5 leaders was strongly reminiscent of the Syndicate from “X-Files”, but since the series’ mythology borrows generously from “X-Files” anyway, it fits thematically. It’s about as close to “old school” as this series is likely to get, and it’s all the better for it.


Final Analysis

Overall, this episode felt like the beginning of the end, but in a very good way. A number of strong elements from past seasons thread through this episode, and there’s finally a return to the Rambaldi mythology after far too long. That gap in the mythology creates a few minor logic problems, but the good far outweighs the bad. It’s good to see things picking up when it counts!

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

Final Rating: 8/10

(Season 5 Average: 6.8)

Buffy 5.2: "The Real Me"

Written by David Fury
Directed by David Grossman

In which Dawn, Buffy’s younger sister, bemoans the unfair nature of her universe as one of Buffy’s old enemies crawls out of the woodwork and Giles finds a new lease on life…


Status Report

With the season premiere skipping over most of the introductory elements of the season in preference of a relatively stand-alone scenario, this episode serves that purpose. Much of the episode is told through the filter of Dawn’s perception, which is actually quite clever. It quickly establishes Dawn’s personality and relationship to the existing characters without resorting to annoying exposition on the part of everyone else. The regular characters get to act as though everything is completely normal. It’s important that this new reality feel “lived in”.

The format also highlights another important aspect of the season theme. If the idea is to delineate the differences between the Slayer and the woman, then Dawn’s perspective is paramount. Dawn is Buffy without the burden of the Chosen. As Buffy said, she wasn’t much older than Dawn when she encountered her first vampire. That much was probably intentional on every possible level; Buffy would instinctively want to protect someone who was as she was before things went wrong.

Of course, it’s not a perfect comparison. Just as previous seasons made it clear that Buffy can never be a pure Slayer, given the nurturing environment of her world, Dawn could never be a pure version of an un-Chosen Buffy. The most obvious issue is that Dawn is the younger sister of a Slayer, which is not the situation Buffy was in prior to being called. And Dawn is more protected that Buffy ever would have been, simply by virtue of the dangerous world Buffy lives in.

Buffy was an only child; Dawn is a younger sibling. But in a very subtle way, Dawn is what Buffy might have been like under exactly the same conditions. And that is a very odd paradox. Dawn is the way she is because Buffy exists as the older sister and as the Slayer, yet Dawn is what Buffy would have been like had she never been called.

The result is something wonderfully complex. The episode is seen through Dawn’s eyes and words, yet it all inevitably speaks to Buffy and the person she is becoming. Through Dawn, Buffy’s core personality is easier to distinguish, making it easier for the Chosen aspect of her personality to reveal itself. At least, it seems rather clear from the first few episodes that this was the intended direction for the season to take.

Regardless, if the fourth season was about self-discovery, then Dawn’s observations reflect the results of that process. Buffy has come a long way, but she still hasn’t found her place in the world. Discovering the Chosen legacy within is a step in the right direction, but as Dawn notes, the world doesn’t care about those particular skill sets. The world has very little reason to be impressed with Buffy. This is also reflected in her decision to choose training over a college course; focusing on the Slayage is to reinforce the idea of a short lifespan.

This is all communicated while another key aspect emerges. Buffy now has someone other than herself to protect and nurture. That situation is introduced almost immediately, and then escalated over the course of the season until its metaphorical conclusion. As the final season would demonstrate, the source of the Slayer power is essentially that of the Mother Goddess. As such, Buffy is set to discover the ultimate role of any mother: sacrifice for those in her care. All Slayers serve this purpose: to save the world, they give their life, and the cycle continues.

Though it’s not directly from Dawn’s perspective, the first signs of trouble between Buffy and Riley emerge. Riley is quickly finding himself on the sidelines, now that Buffy has dedicated herself to exploring the boundaries of the Chosen legacy. Unfortunately for Riley, the rest of his world has been ripped away. He has nothing else but Buffy, and it’s not the same for her. He tries to put a happy face on it, but the signs of discontent are there.

Dawn’s initial scenes with Giles are particularly insightful. Dawn doesn’t think that Giles likes her very much, but that’s perfectly in character. Giles didn’t really like Buffy’s more mundane personality quirks in the first season, either, and Dawn is nothing but that with sibling rivalry tossed in the mix. More to the point, Giles continues to find himself in an odd place. He wants to be there for Buffy, but he’s still not sure how his pseudo-Watcher role will work out. Indeed, like the sports car, it feels like grasping at the past rather than reaching for the future. (Ironically, Giles’ future is finding a new way to be a Watcher, which effectively begins here.)

Through Dawn, the growing acceptance of Willow and Tara’s relationship is communicated. It would have been fun to see Joyce’s reaction to this little revelation, but it takes those characters into a new direction. Willow and Tara need to get closer over the course of the season so that the stakes are plain through the finale. (If Joss had stuck with his original plan for the fifth season, with Tara dying and sending Willow into the darkness in her struggle with Glory, it might have been a tighter story structure.)

Continuing with the reinforcement of the main theme, when they find the previous owner of the Magic Box, Buffy does her best to protect Dawn from that side of reality. Sure enough, it only leaves her exposed to something equally disturbing. This is the first hint of the season plot arc, and as many have noted, it ties neatly into the Buffy/Faith dream sequences stretching back as far as the third season. (More proof that the concept of Dawn was not mandated by the network but a deliberate extension of Buffy’s search for self-awareness.)

Afterward, there’s a chance for Tara and Dawn to commiserate over the fact that they are essentially outsiders. This is a good example of how the writers sell the idea that these relationships were “always there”. Tara (who looks like she’s glammed up a lot since the end of the fourth season) is very comfortable around Dawn.

Before the episode can get too serious, the killer’s identity is revealed: Harmony. Harmony has pulled together her own merry band of misfits in an attempt to take down Buffy. Since this is completely ridiculous, the eventual direction taken by the episode is a bit obvious (and foreshadowed by the accosting of Dawn at the end of the first act). In fact, once Harmony’s plot unfolds, the episode becomes a bit pedestrian.

Considering the fact that there was a certain chemistry between Buffy and Xander earlier in the series, it’s not surprising that Dawn finds him so dreamy. More to the point, where the rest of the gang sees Xander as a bit of a dork, Dawn recognizes that he’s probably the most insightful of the bunch. For all that Xander’s character hasn’t evolved much over the years, one thing has remained fairly valid: Xander sees the truth of things before nearly everyone else. Dawn also has a fairly honest (if non-objective) assessment of Anya.

Tying into “Restless”, there’s the moment where Dawn notes that Xander often looks at her like a little sister. In Xander’s dream during “Restless”, Buffy looked up at Xander and called him “big brother”. While it worked on a certain level for Buffy and Xander, given their relationship, it also speaks to the fact that Dawn is a reflection of who Buffy might have been.

The episode also provides an opportunity to remind the audience that Tara has a secret, something that is possibly demonic in nature. The implication is that it’s a very bad thing. Of course, as revealed later, this is not the case. Joss might have been better served by dropping that entire character aspect and pretending it never happened. The eventual resolution of Tara’s secret takes away one of the more interesting sides of her character.

Since the season arcs usually don’t start in earnest until the third episode or so, this is the perfect time to establish the rules of the universe now that Dawn is a part of it. Exploring her relationship to the various characters is an important part of the process. The writers had a pretty good idea where they wanted to go with Dawn, conceptually, and that shows in this episode.


Memorable Quotes

RILEY: “What? It’s a nice outfit.”
BUFFY: “Mmm-hmm.”
RILEY: “Besides, ‘I’m here to violate your firstborn’ never goes over with parents. Not sure why…”

BUFFY: “Are you mad at me?”
RILEY: “Oh, no, not at all. I’m plotting your death, but in a happy way…”

GILES: “I’m serious, Buffy, there’s going to be far less time for the sort of flighty, frivolous-”
DAWN: “Hey, there’s Willow and Tara.”
GILES: “Oooh, they haven’t seen my new car!”

WILLOW: “Buffy, you’re developing a work ethic.”
BUFFY: “Oh, no…do they make an ointment for that?”

RILEY: “Back to what I was saying before we were rudely attacked by nothing…”

ANYA: “Can I trade in this children for the cash?”

BUFFY: “Giles, are you sure about this?”
GILES: “Why wouldn’t I be?”
BUFFY: “Well, aside from the fact that most magic shop owners in Sunnydale have the life expectancy of a Spinal Tap drummer…”

BUFFY: “How bored were you last year?”
GILES: “I watched ‘Passions’ with Spike. Let us never speak of it.”


Final Analysis

Overall, this episode is a nice introduction to Dawn as a character. By setting the episode from her point of view, it legitimizes the sudden relationships that emerge and also reveal her specific insight. Once the metaphorical concepts are covered and the plot focuses on Harmony, it’s not as strong, but this is still a good beginning for the season’s theme.

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

Final Rating: 7/10

Medium 2.19: "Knowing Her"

Written by Glenn Gordon Caron
Directed by David Paymer


Despite Allison’s heavy presence in this episode, I got the feeling that she was mostly in the background. This was a strong episode for two supporting characters, Scanlon and Ariel, and the big question for the audience is whether or not those characters are compelling enough to maintain interest. For my own part, I was initially interested in Scanlon’s past but quickly found that entire situation to be predictable. Scanlon, at least for me, works better as a secondary character.

Ariel’s situation, however, was a little more interesting. As I said before, it should be interesting to see how the daughters react to their evolving and expanding abilities, and this is a mundane yet relevant aspect of it. It’s not always going to be dark territory or dead serial killers; the hard part will be dealing with knowing more than one should know. And we’ve seen how the abilities once crippled Allison; she has to know what the girls are in for, and Ariel is likely to be the furthest along the path.

In response to the review for “S.O.S.”, many noted that this emerging challenge to Allison’s family is the arc for the show. I’m not entirely convincing. It’s a recurring through-line of the series, certainly, and it should become more important over time. But when I mention an “arc structure”, I’m thinking more along the lines of a “Babylon 5” or “Buffy” seasonal structure, with a distinct beginning and ending for character transitions and the three-act format for the episode progression. I don’t see an “introduction/complication/resolution” structure to any recurring storyline in this season.

There’s nothing wrong with that, because a strongly episodic series can still have very satisfying serialized elements. This is a good example. There’s nothing in previous episodes that pointed to these particular revelations about Scanlon and Ariel’s abilities that would suggest a subsequent consequence to either plot point. Things will inevitably come up when they come up, and by the end, there will probably be a discernable character development. But there’s nothing exterior to the characters that I would call a “season arc”, in terms of larger set of events driving the character development.

That’s what makes Scanlon’s development in this episode a little frustrating. It adds to the character, but what is the likely consequence of this new knowledge? Probably nothing. Similarly, there’s no reason to think that Ariel’s interesting development of psychic abilities will lead to any specific future event. Thankfully, the characters themselves and the subsequent dynamics are enough to keep the series more than viable.

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

Final Rating: 7/10

24 5.19: "Day 5: 1AM - 2AM"

Written by Steve Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle
Directed by Dwight Little

In which casualties mount on both sides as the conflict between Jack and Logan escalates, the architects of the conspiracy emerge, and a key player switches sides…


Status Report

The beginning of the episode is quite the feat of recapping, but the painful exposition is over quickly enough. It’s a little easy for Chloe to get into the CTU servers, given the fact that her escape ought to have been detected very quickly, but it’s not the only plot issue. Henderson doesn’t need the recording as insurance, after everything that has happened so far, but it sure does give Jack the chance to get his hands on it again. And just how does Audrey survive that long after bleeding out that much and wearing a makeshift tourniquet?

It’s always fun when Jack gets to confront and interrogate one of the main bad guys, and considering his history with Henderson, it adds a nice personal touch to the situation. Of course, it doesn’t come without a price. Heller represents yet another personal loss in a season filled with death and betrayal. (Though Heller might have survived, since driving into the lake could have masked his escape from the shooters in the helicopter….really!)

And now, at this late hour, another conspirator is introduced. Since Logan isn’t supposed to be very clever, one might assume that this new player is the real mastermind, the one advising Logan in his actions from the very beginning. While that doesn’t absolve Logan of his responsibility, it does shove his character into a completely new brand of personal weakness. Any sense of wounded dignity present in the beginning of the season is now completely undermined.

This new “consortium” appears to consist of businessmen, which would fit the whole idea of starting this entire mess to gain control of foreign oil. Logically, since the group began working 18 months earlier, they jumped on the chance to control a weak president with little support. Once they threw their economic clout into the ring, Logan probably had it easy. And now that the big plan is unfolding, when better for Jack to come back and tear it down?

It would be too easy if Henderson had the recording, but it throws the episode in an unexpected direction. Jack is forced to go after the recording, leaving Audrey alone with Henderson until Curtis can arrive to take them back to DHS-occupied CTU. It’s plain on Audrey’s face that she has an ulterior motive, but Jack has a long of other things on his mind and doesn’t see it.

Ironically, if things go according to plan at this stage of the game, a now-conscious Bierko and Henderson would be in Karen’s custody. Given her questions about Logan’s orders since her occupation of CTU, she would be in the perfect position to gather enough information on the conspiracy to threaten Logan’s attempt at a cover-up. Even when it seems that Chloe’s escape would distract her, events push Karen towards an understanding of the truth and the right action. (Assuming, of course, that Miles is not part of the plot as well.)

One of the best moments in the episode is Logan’s confession to Martha. Her reaction is exactly as extreme as one would expect, just as Logan’s attempt to save her is consistent with his choices earlier in the day. Logan’s justifications are completely disingenuous, yet they do hold a certain truth. Just as Heller realized, exposing Logan will only undermine the public trust in the presidency. All the same, how could Martha’s reaction be any different?

Henderson plays on the very fact that Heller might still be alive to twist Audrey’s head around, despite the fact that she’s rather focused on thoughts of revenge. Henderson’s men foil those thoughts, forcing Audrey to make a run for it. Curtis gets to make the kind of move Tony used to make, and just like that, Henderson is in custody.

Conveniently, the plane carrying Henderson’s accomplice hasn’t taken off in the past hour, and none of the DHS personnel have been able to get to Chloe or Bill, despite how long they’ve been connected to the CTU servers. When that moment finally comes, Karen makes the choice to move solidly into Jack’s column. Since Chloe needs to get moving to stay out of DHS hands, Jack is forced to get on the plane the hard way.

This episode had a lot more plot conveniences than the past few episodes, but they weren’t so substantial as to undermine the episode entirely. As this little war continues, there should be apparent casualties on both sides, and this episode certainly begins that process. With episode 20 coming up, it’s expected that there will be another, final shift in the arc. Considering how the past few episodes have stepped up the game, it’s going to be a challenge to maintain the level of quality.


Final Analysis

Overall, this episode is another strong link in the recent chain, delivering a number of unexpected twists and consequences as the central conflict escalates. The writers stumble on the logic here and there to keep the pace going, but most of the developments make sense and keep the situation messy.

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

Final Rating: 8/10

Season Average (as of 5.19): 7.1

Prison Break 1.19: "The Key"

Written by Paul Scheuring, Zack Estrin, and Matt Olmstead
Directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan


Right from the beginning, there’s a sense that situations are coming to a head, even if answers are somewhat vague at this point. Lincoln’s little accident wasn’t an accident; the Vice President wanted him out of the way. Fortunately, Lincoln’s father was ready to take advantage. And that might have left Michael and the others inside the prison with no one else to break out, which would normally be a good thing…except, of course, Abruzzi is back and nothing is that simple!

I’m glad to see him back, because it adds the kind of complication that might work out better in the end. I don’t completely buy the idea that he would heal so much in such a short time, but I’ll take what I can get, since I like the character. I also like Sarah, which is why I think it stinks that Michael would use her obvious attraction to him and betray that trust, even for a second.

As predicted, “The Company” is not the CIA; instead, it is something far worse. It’s essentially the Illuminati with corporate leanings, and if you cross The Company, they get back at you through your family. So now Lincoln’s situation makes a little more sense. The implication is that the Ecofield issue exposed the VP’s brother, which in turn has exposed her. Thus eliminating both the brother (for all intent purposes) and Lincoln (to punish his father) is the VP’s way of getting back in the good graces of The Company.

It’s interesting that Pope would let Bellick push him into such a precarious position, especially when he has to know that Lincoln’s “escape” would put him on the wrong side of a conflict with the VP. And Bellick is clearly not paying attention. He lets Tweener get worked up in his situation with the friendly new cellmate, which he ought to know could have serious consequences, especially if certain truths get out in the wake of this nasty incident.

Michael’s little gambit with his “wife” (Holly Valence is such a hottie!) was pretty clever, especially since it kept Michael from directly screwing over Sarah in the process. Too bad for him that Sarah isn’t stupid. C-Note’s move with T-Bag was also well done. The game in the junkyard was also a nice touch, since it thwarted the desires of the VP while keeping alive the chance of an escape, should Michael work out that part of the plan.

Now for the real question: is Nick only working for Abruzzi, or is Abruzzi also working for The Company? Just who is Nick working for and what is his endgame? Michael adds his own complication by finding compassion for Tweener, and Lincoln is all but out of reach just as Bellick gets just what he was looking for. With only three episodes left for the season, the situation looks more hopeless than ever. And that, of course, is exactly why this has turned out to be one of the best new shows of the season.

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

Final Rating: 8/10

West Wing 7.19: "Transition"

Written by Peter Noah
Directed by Nelson McCormick

The producers are in a difficult position as the season and series wind down. On the one hand, they want to give the audience a strong sendoff, bringing back old friends and giving the main characters a proper farewell (especially Leo). Yet how can their efforts live up to expectation? It’s nearly impossible, and even if Sorkin had been writing the episodes, I doubt the final product would please everyone.

I’ll admit that I was expecting a little bit more with regards to the Sam Seaborn return. At the very least, I wanted some indication of why he wasn’t at Leo’s funeral. All things being equal, I know that it was likely a matter of contracts and timing. Even if they had filmed something after the fact and inserted it into “Requiem”, it would have been an issue because of SAG rules: Lowe would have to be paid for appearing in that episode. Still, why not a single line of dialogue to explain things?

Yet, I understand why the writers would avoid it. What answer would be sufficient? As it stands, the logic behind Sam’s return works, and as the characters themselves note, the circumstances are neatly symmetrical. It was fun to watch Sam “protest too much” about the deputy CoS job, because it was rather clear from the beginning that he was coming back into the fold. But in some ways, the energy wasn’t there, and I’m sure that some will be disappointed that every scene wasn’t full of the same snap and crackle.

So much attention was on Sam and his return that the Bartlet/Santos gambit was neatly pulled off. It was a nice touch, because it would have been easy to assume that Santos was operating on his own. This was a clever way to address one of the issues that I had with earlier episodes. Santos was never shown reacting to the Southeast Asia problem, but apparently he and Bartlet had discussed a few things here and there in terms of strategy.

Helen’s offer to Donna resolves one of the issues with the whole impending Josh/Donna thing, since the whole boss/employee problem was one of the stumbling points earlier in the series (whether they came right out and said it or not). I thought that Donna took a very pragmatic approach to her relationship with Josh, as if the past year or so had taught her a few lessons in self-assertion. I was struck by the fact that Donna wasn’t really acting like Donna, but why would we expect the characters not to change?

Which, of course, brings us to Josh. Josh is also changing, as he realizes that his manic behavior over the past year has given way to the verge of a nervous breakdown. Sam is probably the only person he’ll listen to at this point, which proves out the logic of the script. Josh’s growing insanity sparks off some odd moments along the way (like Santos asking about his love life with Donna, which was an odd choice), but where does it end? With Sam coming back to keep Josh on track and Donna there to give him a chance to figure out who he is and who he wants to be. Even better, there’s still three more episodes for the answers to become clear.

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

Final Rating: 7/10

7 Day Forecast: 23 Apr 2006

Now reading:

Faerie Tale by Raymond Feist
Alias: Father Figure by Laura Peyton Roberts
Finding Serenity: Anti-Heroes, Lost Shepherds, and Space Hookers in Joss Whedon's Firefly

Just started...I've had this on my shelf for a while now, but it felt like the right time. I've upgraded the basement setup and feel like watching "Serenity" to test the balance out!


Now playing:

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King - about 25%...Jessica's outfit keeps getting better and better...
Final Fantasy V - about 18%...not much progress, since I'm heavy into DQVIII...
Final Fantasy X-2 - about 75%...kinda on hold for now
Kingdom Hearts - about 8% done...kinda on hold for now


7 Day Forecast (through 30 Apr 2006):

4/24: West Wing 7.19: "Transition"
4/25: Prison Break 1.19: "The Key"
4/25: 24 5.19: "Day 5: 1AM - 2AM"
4/26: Medium 2.19: "Knowing Her"
4/27: Alias 5.12: "There's Only One Sydney Bristow"
4/28: Invasion 1.19: "The Son Also Rises"
4/28: Ghost Hunters 2.19: "26 Apr 2006"
4/29: Supernatural 1.21: "Salvation"
4/30: Smallville 5.20: "Fade"

Smallville 5.19: "Mercy"

Written by Steven S. DeKnight
Directed by James Marshall

I’m not sure what the difference was this time, but I really felt like this was the right kind of episode for the series. From what I understand, it borrowed the central concept from the recent “Saw” horror films, but since I find needless gore and blood tedious (violence needs mature context to be potentially interesting), I haven’t seen those films. Regardless, I like the idea at the heart of this episode: Lionel must face the demons of his past in a very personal way.

Lionel has always been chasing after Martha, so the recent twists in his relationship to Clark have been very interesting indeed. Particularly, I like the fact that Lionel, through his connection to Jor-El, has taken it upon himself to step in as a father figure for Clark, in his own peculiar way. Clark, of course, isn’t buying it, and we finally get to see some darkness in Clark. I like it when a situation challenges Clark’s morality, and as I’ve said before, Jonathan’s exit should lead to moments where Clark questions how to respond.

Of course, it’s made so much better by the fact that Lex gets to watch the whole thing, and it burns in his gut like nothing else. Lex might have gotten the feeling that he won Lana from Clark, but on some level, he must know that he’s taking advantage of Clark’s mistakes, not winning on his own merit. Now he sees Lionel treating Clark as something special, a surrogate son, and he has to be wondering why he wasn’t deemed as “special” as Clark.

In essence, this gives Lex another personal reason for discovering what Clark has that he doesn’t have. One of the underlying themes of the series has been the pursuit of power. Clark began with inherent and almost spiritual power, and Jonathan taught him to understand himself and view that power as a means of helping others who are powerless. Lex had power as well, but it was artificial and material, and Lionel taught him that the acquisition of power was paramount over all else.

This is a huge turning point for Lionel, though he’s unlikely to reform completely. Martha serves as a redemptive figure for Lionel. He continues to find reasons and ways to live up to her faith in his ability to change. Did he know that the gun was empty? Possibly, but it plays better if Lex comes up with that on his own, as if he’s casting for some way to explain away Lionel’s apparent selfless act.

As much as the scheme at the center of the plot is a nice nod to continuity, it isn’t nearly as satisfying as it could have been. For one thing, who remembers that whole Apex deal from the earlier seasons? I can’t even remember when it took place; the back and forth between the Luthors has been going on for so long that the sequence of events is now just a jumble. It might have been better if it was a more recent victim of their struggle, but considering that it was a solid episode for once, I’ll take what I can get.

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

Final Rating: 8/10

Supernatural 1.20: "Dead Man's Blood"

Written by Cathryn Humphris and John Shiban
Directed by Tony Wharmby

In which the Winchester brothers investigate the mysterious murder of a man who once knew their father, and when John joins them to find a weapon, tempers flare…


I’ve been waiting for this episode all season: the moment when John and the boys have enough time to air the past grievances and let it all hang out. And this episode didn’t disappoint. I love it when characters confront each other and none of them are particularly without fault. It’s even better when everyone has a valid point underneath it all.

The fact is, John and Sam are probably too similar to ever get along for very long. And Sam brings up the one thing that prevents either of them from giving up control over what’s coming: they’ve both lost the woman they loved to the demon they’re chasing. John may have been doing it for longer, but for Sam, the pain is more raw for being so recent. Sam resents the idea of being left out of the chance for vengeance.

John, of course, doesn’t want to lose anyone else in his family, which is a completely understandable point of view. But the fact is, his sons are grown and have the right to decide on their own. (This attitude makes the previous episode more relevant, since it helped establish Sam’s similarity to his father.) Even Dean, the dutiful soldier, isn’t too happy with the idea, and points out that John has been having it both ways.

The implication is that John wanted his sons to deal with the issues he couldn’t while on the final hunt, and should John fall, at least someone would still be out there to take the next shot. Dean and Sam eventually come to a common conclusion: they all stand a better chance of success working together. And of course, that was the point of this episode.

John needed to learn how to share information and give his sons the chance to make their own decisions and suggest their own alternatives. In short, he can’t treat them like children anymore, even if he still feels responsible for them. Dean needed to recognize the difference between being strong support without straying into blind obedience. And Sam needed to recognize that living his own life doesn’t mean he should turn his back on the needs of his family. Of course, all of that is generalization, since the characters don’t quite get to the point where they make amends.

As far as the main threat in the episode, I thought they were a lot of fun. I wasn’t looking forward to “cowboy goth” very much, but I have to admit, they made it work. Especially when it came to the women! That said, the final act was a bit of a mess, since the three Winchesters had to survive relatively intact, despite being outclassed in nearly every way. But how better to prove the potency of the Winchesters when they work together?

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

Final Rating: 7/10

Ghost Hunters 2.18: "19 Apr 2006"

Case #1: Mike Dion’s Case
Case #2: Willard Library

We’re approaching the mid-point of the “back nine”, to coin an industry phrase, and so far the action has been pretty low-key. The same thing happened earlier in the second season; a lot of minor incidents with personal experiences, capped with something that was definitely worth talking about. This had some more interesting elements to it, but still nothing particularly substantial.

It’s interesting how each investigation is given a particular flavor, and how episodes are constructed as if a certain theme is in play. For instance, I would call this the “existing evidence review” episode, because in both cases, TAPS was shown going over the evidence submitted by others rather than generating evidence of their own. And the analysis of that evidence, however short, paralleled the experience of the TAPS team in each location. I’ll give the editors credit for that nice touch.

That said, I wonder if SFC would consider, based on the relative success of the show, adjusting the format to allow more episodes. Here’s the idea: instead of cramming two investigations into one hour, focus on one investigation per episode, keeping the total number of investigations intact. Just on the basis of the second season, that would be something like 40 episodes in a given year! (OK, maybe not practical, but it would at least satisfy my desire to have more substantial investigation footage and less worry over renewals!)

On to the first case:

Some critics will inevitably point out that Grant wasn’t on camera when he was supposedly struck by this unknown assailant. They will also point out that most of what happened was personal experience, which they will say was dramatically faked. I don’t buy that, because Grant’s reaction felt genuine. When these guys “act” for the staged conversations, it’s pretty damned obvious, and Grant looked seriously uncomfortable leading up to that attack.

I love EVPs (which is why I really enjoy the Haunted NJ Podcast), and considering how often Grant says they are recorded, I wish we could hear more of them. Notice how this house, with credible EVP recordings by the homeowner, had something going on. (And that’s even accounting for the breath looped in so the audience would think it was recorded.)

Second case:

Oh, look, another famous haunted site. What are the odds that the evidence wouldn’t pan out? Once again we have an example of a team that doesn’t conclude “ghosts” as soon as something odd happens. Yes, they consider possibilities, but then they rule them out systematically. And here we have photographic evidence that Jason and Grant could explain away rather easily. It might be that something is happening there, but with all those windows and stacks, it’s very easy to get odd shadows and the impression of movement.

Chill Factor: 6/10

Invasion 1.18: "Re-Evolution"

Written by Julie Siege and Charlie Craig
Directed by Eric Laneuville

In which Russell and Dave learn more about Szura’s operation in the Florida keys, while Underlay gets a tour of the military’s activities in the region and Jesse begins his downward spiral…


Another victim of an unfortunate and unnecessary hiatus, “Invasion” returns with another episode that demonstrates how well the story arc was constructed. I believe that the network pushed for quicker pacing, but the progression of the plot feels organic rather than forced. It took a long time for things to get this bad, but now that the writing is on the wall, events are spiraling out of control in logical ways.

What’s the message in this episode? Essentially, the invasion is on, and a war for control and survival is brewing. Szura believes that the hybrids are the next stage in evolution, and he’s all about preparing his people for a successful takeover. Underlay is clearly not aware of Szura’s true goals, and it seems as though Szura has been locating and using hybrids in key positions around the region to maximize his chances for success.

The military knows a lot more than they’re letting on, and in a nice touch, their goals are left completely open to interpretation. Is it about finding the hybrids’ weaknesses? Or is it about determining the abilities of the hybrids in the hopes of yielding some benefit from the emerging species? Underlay gets the message that the military has been keeping the “invasion” secret from the very beginning, and that he and others have been allowed to roam free thanks to a power struggle within the military. If the “wrong” people were in charge, the war would have started a long time ago.

This is interesting in light of Russell’s precarious situation. He is quickly losing credibility, and sooner or later, his obsession with the hybrids will set him against the wrong people. Underlay certainly won’t like it, even if he has his own misgivings about where things are going. But if there are elements of the military looking to deal with the hybrids quietly, Russell could end up with allies among them. The problem, of course, is what to do about Mariel, since she’s “on the other side”.

Bringing the discussion around to Jesse, who has taken the predicted dark turn. Not only does his violent side come out in this episode, but it becomes the basis for another aspect of the “divorced family” metaphor. As far as Jesse is concerned, now that Underlay has “changed her”, Mariel is no longer his mother. To him, his mother is dead. It just so happens that this psychological reaction to a divorce situation has a basis in fact!

The only thing I didn’t like about this episode was Larkin. She was a lot stronger in this episode once the first act was over, but why in the world would she let some stranger into the house, even if she felt responsible for his condition? Does she forget what happened to her the last time she was alone with an odd stranger? Still, it’s a minor annoyance in a very strong episode. I can’t believe this series is still on the bubble.

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

Final Rating: 8/10

Medium 2.18: "S.O.S."

Written by Rob Pearlstein
Directed by Tim Squyres

In which Allison begins dreaming about young women in need of assistance, later found murdered, and risks exposing her gift to her children and the public in the process…


“Medium” continues to be the kind of show that delivers nearly every time it airs, but it’s not important enough for the network to air it consistently. I haven’t seen too many episodes that have left me unsatisfied. This was another good one, because the situation threatened to expose Allison’s gift in ways that would be non-ideal, to say the least.

Also, this is the first time, if I recall correctly, that Allison spoke to Ariel and Bridget about her abilities and what that really means for her and them. Throughout the process, Joe was very supportive, but it was clearly weighing on him, because once they take that step, there’s really no going back. Other episodes this season, of course, made it clear that the daughters will have to understand what’s happening sooner rather than later.

For a long while, I was under the impression that the killer was tapping into the 911 service to find his victims, so when they brought up the idea that the killer was a psychic, I was a bit taken aback. Not because of the idea itself, but the fact that I hadn’t considered it. It makes a lot of sense in retrospect, since for every upstanding member of the psychic community, there’s probably someone ready to use the gift for immoral purposes.

That said, I still wouldn’t want to live in this version of Arizona. Apparently everyone in the state is a cop, a lawyer, a psychic, a killer, or some combination thereof. The murder rate alone is impossible to believe! It’s little wonder that the DA election was so important. Do they ever get to sleep in that office?

Considering that this is a series without a clear sense of evolution, working without any general arc structure, it’s gratifying when there’s some kind of progress. Now that immoral and even murderous psychics have emerged in the course of the series, it would be interesting to see one of the daughters developing a misuse of the gift. After all, one of the best aspects of the series is the depiction of a normal family with an unusual situation, and one of the hardest parts of the parenting process is teaching right from wrong.

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

Final Rating: 7/10

Alias 5.11: "Maternal Instinct"

Written by Breen Frazier
Directed by Tucker Gates

In which Jack’s actions lead to an audit of APO’s investigation into Prophet Five, complicating matters when Irina arrives to help Sydney and Jack find the Horizon…


Status Report

It’s quite likely that this episode was the result of changes to the season arc following the betrayal of the ABC network, reducing the episode order for the final season. There was a great deal of evidence that Sydney’s baby was at the center of Prophet Five’s plans, and while that may still be the case, it’s been complicated by the fact that Irina clearly says the Horizon was P5’s only concern. So what is the truth, and what is a lie?

The implications of this episode are fairly complex, but they also bear the mark of something cobbled together under less than ideal circumstances. If Irina is working for Prophet Five (or for that matter, running it), then why would Payton and her team act as though she’s an outside agent threatening their plans? The obvious conclusion is that Irina offered her services, as she mentioned, shortly after Prophet Five re-emerged after the incident in “Before the Flood”.

Since it was already revealed in the fourth season that Irina’s organizations were always designed to counter Sloane’s desire to fulfill Rambaldi’s prophecies, it would be easy to assume that the same logic applies to the goals of Prophet Five. Irina could have been advancing her own agenda, trying to derail or defuse the P5 endgame from within.

Everything Irina says in this episode seems to support that. She tried to warn Vaughn that something was about to happen (which is within continuity), and she was trying to save Sydney’s baby while achieving the goals of Prophet Five, which indirectly threatened the baby, give the methods employed to find the Horizon. The fact that Peyton seemed ready to turn on Irina suggests that P5 was always wary of her involvement.

Logically, if all of this was true, it would have made sense for Irina to save Vaughn, since it would in essence be a mitigation of the damage inflicted on her loved ones by the larger Rambaldi mess. (Still assuming, of course, that Prophet Five is directly related to Rambaldi in some way.) That may no longer be true, however, if the writers were forced to take a different direction with the story to fit the shortened timeline.

All of which hinges on the idea that P5 is not, in fact, interested in Sydney’s baby, which doesn’t quite fit within the continuity established in the first half of the season. The most obvious conclusion is that Irina is lying to Sydney, since it wouldn’t be the first time and certainly won’t be the last. And it’s the fact that Sydney and Jack know that, and know her history, that undermines one of the key plot points of the episode.

There is literally no reason for Sydney or Jack to trust Irina as far as they can throw her. Sure, her true intentions over the past 30 years or so were placed in context in the fourth season, but that doesn’t change her actions and choices. Irina just shows up with tons of information about Prophet Five, and not once is she questioned regarding her sources and activities since “Before the Flood”. It simply doesn’t make sense, especially when Sydney and Jack act shocked and appalled at the idea that Irina would use them.

Of course, the writers were trying for the unexpected yet pleasing notion of Irina and Jack delivering Sydney’s baby together. Yes, it makes for a touching moment, and it demonstrates that Irina’s axiom that “motherhood and spying don’t mix” may not hold water, but it’s otherwise a huge plot contrivance. And that doesn’t even begin to cover the many, many ridiculous aspects of the birthing itself.

After all the issues with getting Lena Olin to appear in the fourth season, when her presence would have made a lot of sense, it’s surprising to see her so involved in these final episodes. It’s certainly not a bad thing, but it does make the long-term fan somewhat wistful for what might have been. Will the writers try to place Irina’s decisions over the course of the series into context? Or will her motivations always be up to debate?

The worst part of this episode was the fact that Sydney, Jack, and Irina had to talk about the past 30 years, the Horizon, Prophet Five, and Irina’s involvement thereof without once bringing up Rambaldi. Even if Prophet Five has absolutely nothing to do with Rambaldi, it’s well past time for someone to mention how damned familiar all these elements are to what they’ve encountered in the past. It’s been well established that the Alliance was used to locate and acquire Rambaldi devices and artifacts for Sloane’s true purpose. So when the connection to SD-6 is tracked down and an artifact lies at the heart of it, how can Rambaldi stay out of the conversation?

All of which is largely overshadowed by the worst plot secret on the planet: Vaughn’s return. Was anyone genuinely surprised by this? Of course Vaughn was still alive. The producers practically told the audience to stop worrying and just let things play out. Did the short-sighted “fans” that all but destroyed the series’ future listen? Of course not. And now, which fans are tearing their hair out over the impending series end? How very predictable and sad.

Anyway, Vaughn’s return is hardly a surprise, but there is an implication in the previous scene that could be stunning if true. With the baby born, Sydney asked her father to take care of something, and in the very next scene, Vaughn (in apparent hiding) is informed that he has a daughter. Could Vaughn’s “death” have been staged by Jack and Sydney, all so Vaughn could investigate Prophet Five without their knowledge?

If that’s where the writers are going with all of this, then it would be an interesting if troublesome development. Frankly, the implication is that Sydney’s investigation into Prophet Five would have been a smokescreen for Vaughn’s activities. If so, why would Sydney place her child’s life at risk by being the decoy all this time? If Jack was in on it all, then he could have still led the investigation without Sydney being front and center. This is especially true given Rachel’s involvement.

This smacks of a major retcon, all designed to simplify the end of the season by allowing Vaughn to report on discoveries he made while in hiding which would otherwise have been uncovered by APO. It would have made more sense for Vaughn to be assumed dead and taken into custody by Irina for the purposes of her agenda. That’s still a possibility, since the intersection of scenes at the end of the episode could have been designed to mislead the audience into just these assumptions.

There are a number of issues just related to the fifth season that still need to be explained, without even considering the lingering plot threads from the first four seasons. Just what is Grace up to, and how does it relate to Prophet Five? What are Irina’s true goals in working for P5? What is the Horizon and what does it have to do with Sydney and her baby, if anything? Who runs Prophet Five, and is it connected to Rambaldi? If those questions are answered, then there’s still a lot regarding the overall mythology to be addressed as well.

Hopefully, the remaining episodes will allow Rachel to be in the field more. Rachel was supposed to replace Sydney in the field, especially with the hot outfits, and it just hasn’t happened as much as it could or should have. Rachel is mostly stuck sitting around being manipulated, and it’s unfortunate. Similarly, Rene is not nearly as compelling or sexy as the producers seem to believe. If anything, Rene looks worn out, and her attempts at dangerous sexiness make her look like an aged Parisian hooker.

With only six episodes left, there’s not a lot of time for explanations and connections to be made. The promos all promise that the mysteries will be resolved, and the producers say the same thing. But what are the chances, when the most obvious connections are still not being made? Will the audience be forced to sit through some scene where Prophet Five is revealed to be connected to Rambaldi, and everyone gasps in shock? That would be laughable at this point, and the series deserves to go out with a lot more style.


Final Analysis

Overall, this episode had the benefit of bringing back a beloved character, but there were a number of plot elements that didn’t seem to fit the previously established continuity. Such issues have arisen before, but in this case, the writers may be trying a little too hard to shock the audience and defy expectation. Still, it’s good to see some of these characters working together again, and this continues to improve on the slow and inconsistent first half of the season.

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

Final Rating: 7/10

(Season 5 Average: 6.6)

Alias 5.10: "S.O.S."

Written by J.R. Orci
Directed by Karen Gaviola

In which Sydney attempts to escape her imprisonment on a cargo ship while dealing with pregnancy issues, while Jack tracks down a possible Prophet Five mole in the CIA…


Status Report

During the long wait between episodes, a lot has changed in the “Alias” world. The most important change has been the outright betrayal of the ABC network. Despite the fact that the series brought ABC a huge amount of credibility and exposure during a time when nothing else seemed to work, to the point of making JJ Abrams one of the most sought-after producers around and Jen Garner a bankable star, ABC has treated the series like an unwanted stepchild.

It’s bad enough that they forced the producers and writers to abandon the original plans for a far more substantial Rambaldi presence over the years. It’s ridiculous to watch the fifth season and know that the plot is supposed to be related to Rambaldi, but the man’s name can’t come up and past continuity is intentionally left off the table. Moments that scream for some kind of comment from Sydney or Jack fly by, all because of network interference.

Why is this galling? Because if “Alias” had been launched more recently, in the more tolerant era ushered in by “Lost”, that overarching mythology would have been nurtured and praised instead of sidelined and feared. ABC all but ruined the show by stripping away its unique elements: the episodic cliffhangers, the Rambaldi mythology, and its structural complexity.

Yet the writers did everything possible to work around the network’s idiotic mandates. Despite the fits and starts of the third season, the fourth season managed to return to form, especially in the second half. Sure enough, it was the return to the Rambaldi mythology that gave the fourth season a stronger and more meaningful focus. With the fifth season, the network became even more insistent and Prophet Five is the result: Rambaldi with the serial numbers worn off.

After the fourth season, Jen’s pregnancy gave ABC all the excuse they needed to make demands. If the show was going to stay on the air, the producers would have to play things their way. Other issues required changes in the cast, and that fed into the anxiety of fans who couldn’t see past their own impatience. Why wait to see how changes will be resolved over time, especially when the producers come right out and say things are not what they seem? No, it’s far better to bash a season before it even begins, thus telling the network that they were right to treat “Alias” as a has-been commodity.

There’s little surprise that the series was canceled relatively early in the season. The network used Jen’s pregnancy and the extreme negative reaction of short-sighted “fans” to justify their mandates and kill the series once the ratings dropped, something that the timeslot chosen by the network practically achieved on its own. There was still hope that the network would let the writers come back from hiatus and end things their own way.

And so, the betrayal: the decision to reduce the season’s episode order from 22 episodes to an effective total of 17 episodes. What’s worse, this decision was made after 9 episodes had already been aired, undermining the pacing and progression of the season arc and forcing the writers to wrap things up in far less time than they had expected. Instead of 13 episodes, the writers were left with an effective total of 8 episodes. ABC all but destroyed whatever plans the producers and writers had for concluding the series with such a sharp reduction.

Over the past several weeks, the producers and ABC have been doing damage control. Suddenly the producers are “admitting” that the focus on Rambaldi in earlier seasons was a mistake, though one can easily read between the lines. Everyone is hyping the final episodes as if the answers provided to open questions will remotely resemble the original intentions. Again, read between the lines, and the bitterness from JJ and the rest of the production staff is apparent. They know they were screwed.

One effect of the episode reduction was the need to jump right back into the plot without any chance of bringing the audience up to speed. Contrast this with the similar hiatus forced on “Prison Break”. In that case, the structure of the series and the knowledge of the hiatus allowed the writers to structure the first few new episode in a way that reminded the audience of the major plot threads.

In contrast, it’s hard to tell if this episode was written before the episode reduction. On the one hand, there’s a lot dumped into the plot, especially the unexpected events with Thomas Grace. The first half of the season suggested that there was something about him that didn’t quite add up, but this feels accelerated, as if the writers needed to get moving faster than they intended. But it’s also possible that Grace and his connection to this “Cardinal” has something to do with Prophet Five and was always meant to come up at this point. Who can really say? The details from past episodes aren’t fresh enough to place the new information in context.

For all that, the pacing suggested that the baby would be born in this episode, so when it wasn’t “extracted” during the procedure, it was a little shocking and more than a little worrisome. The only way to mitigate the damage of the “baby plot” is to make the baby a substantial and logical part of the arc. This episode was consistent with that, but in a way that suggested that things may not be what they seem.

If Prophet Five wanted the baby, based on some connection to the Horizon (something strongly hinted in earlier episodes), then they had the perfect opportunity to take the kid and go. Instead, they took time and energy to save the pregnancy and leave the child intact. It doesn’t really make sense. If the preservation of Sydney’s pregnancy was important enough to Irina, why interrogate her on a cargo ship in the middle of the North Atlantic?

Therein lies the first hint of a massive shift in the plot structure. Payton (a role that proves how hot Amy Acker can be when she’s evil) seems to be reporting to someone in ultimate authority of Prophet Five operations. “The Horizon” suggested that this authority was Irina herself, a revelation that in and of itself didn’t quite fit the evidence. So once again, it’s quite possible that this additional complication was always intended, but that the network betrayal forced things to be advanced less elegantly than desired.

Even Sloane’s situation wasn’t given much of a context. It’s easy enough to remember his precarious position now, but coming into the episode, there wasn’t much to go on. Thus the significance of his actions in this episode, particularly letting Sydney be rescued and allowing the operation against the CIA to proceed undeterred, is somewhat lost.

Still, this was an episode with some fun elements. Infiltrating Langley was a great idea, because it plays directly into the revelation that Prophet Five has agents in key positions of every major intelligence community. Jack’s method of dealing with the P5 agent in the CIA is classic, and easily one of the best moments of the episode.

Unfortunately, that scene also points out another contextual problem: the audience is clearly supposed to know who the P5 agent is, relative to Sydney and the series as a whole, yet there’s nothing to remind the audience of the character’s significance. It’s not unlike the situation in the fifth season premiere of “X-Files”, when a minor character is revealed to be a mole of the Syndicate. It’s treated as a huge reveal, but for casual fans, it was hardly meaningful.

As far as Prophet Five goes, it’s still quite evident that it’s related to Rambaldi, especially since everything about its history, timeline, intelligence connections, and membership points to some movement that coincided with Sloane’s original plan to fulfill Rambaldi’s prophecies and Irina’s decision to counter that plan. Whether or not the remaining episodes can remain true to that “big picture” will determine how successful the writers have been in dealing with the episode reduction and the interference by the network.


Final Analysis

Overall, this episode is a hard nut to crack. There are indications that the writers had to make some changes to the intended storyline, and that this episode suffered as a result. Coming off a hiatus, there were a number of contextual references that were missing to help the audience get back up to speed.

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

Final Rating: 7/10

(Season 5 Average: 6.6)

24 5.18: "Day 5: 12AM -1AM"

Written by Unavailable
Directed by Unavailable

In which Jack and Audrey meet with Secretary Heller, but things don’t go as expected, while the truth threatens Logan and Chloe finds herself under fire with Karen and Miles…


Status Report

It would have been better to keep the Jack and Wayne Show going for a while longer, but if it brings back Bill Buchanan for some fun and games, who can argue? Jack could use all the help he can get, especially since the screws are being tightened on Chloe at the exact same time. The urgency of the episode is quite nice, because unlike some episodes this season, the events don’t feel manufactured. It’s Logan vs. Bauer, and everything makes sense within that context, since that’s how it should have been from the beginning. (OK, it was, if one accepts the season as presented to this point without cynicism!)

Heller should have been brought in before this point, but now that the game is on, it gives his return that much more heft. Heller is Jack’s most powerful ally, with so many others dead, which once again gives the fourth season more retroactive meaning. He asks the right questions about that recording, but since Heller has dealt with Logan in the past, there’s enough history for the evidence to speak for itself.

Heller’s response is a nice change of pace, because he’s completely right. Unseating the president shouldn’t be a public spectacle. It can’t be a military coup, or for that matter, a coup of any kind. It should be done carefully and quietly. Heller understands that it shouldn’t be public, but he’s smart enough to make sure he doesn’t have the evidence in hand when he confronts Logan on the truth. And of course, it complicates Jack’s personal crusade even more, which is always fun.

Miles is one slimy bastard, but he also knows how to push a person’s buttons. He does exactly what it takes to push Chloe into exposing her methods. Yet all it does is give Logan another chance to demonstrate his inability to keep things in control when things go off plan. Despite having Karen in his back pocket, he keeps giving her orders that conflict. It adds to her existing suspicions, and suddenly Novick is back in play, exposing the weaknesses in the conspiracy. (Where he’s been for the last few hours is an interesting matter of debate.)

This is also the second time that Martha has seen Logan take one of these unexpected phone calls in the apparent wake of the crisis, and it’s just a matter of time before she figures out that something is wrong. The nice thing is that the beginning of the season established that once she gets something into her head, she won’t let it go until she’s satisfied.

The whole Chinese issue finally comes up again, even if it’s only in passing. The confrontation between Logan and Novick is one of the highlights of the episode, especially since it’s clear that Novick isn’t so stupid as to believe that Logan is being open and honest. This is one of the interesting aspects of this final conflict: it’s as much about Logan as it is about Jack. Jack’s not leading the charge, so much as playing a part in something that was probably inevitable.

Chloe’s little escape was way too easy under the circumstances, but at least it gave the writers a chance to use that ridiculous sexual harassment subplot. Any chance to get Chloe in action is a joy to behold. It also seems that DHS security protocols are as pathetic as CTU protocols. Chloe never should have gotten so far for so long! And she certainly shouldn’t have gotten to Bill so easily.

It’s interesting that Logan doesn’t bother to hide his complicity once Heller confronts him. And given the conservative leanings of many on the cast and crew of the series, it’s amazing that Logan’s entire plan was about securing foreign oil interests. Heller’s ultimatum, however, puts Logan in one of those positions where he seems to excel all too well: finding a means of opening up options and shifting responsibility.

Heller’s security detail makes for another nice set of red shirts, and as one would predict, it all comes down to Henderson getting his hands on Audrey and forcing Jack to make a choice. Sure enough, it undercuts Heller’s entire gambit. It gives Logan a nice temporary victory, but there’s one small question that hasn’t been answered. Does Henderson really have the recording, since it was never demonstrated that he played it and knew it was the genuine article? Could Jack have switched it out? For that matter, couldn’t there be a copy by now?

Of course, the obvious question is why Henderson would call Logan without confirming that the only copy of the recording was in hand. He had plenty of time to come gunning for Jack, considering Audrey’s condition. Speaking of Audrey, she’s prime material for another loss for Jack this season, and this takes her one step closer to that. Then again, she’s probably prepared for that sort of thing after being around Jack lately!

With six episodes left, there’s plenty of time for the various players to move and counter as the conflict escalates. This episode was about building the tension to the next level and making sure that the audience saw where the lines were being drawn. All of the players that should be in the game are on the board, and it’s going to be a nasty fight to the finish. As usual, once the season gets to the final turn, a lot of the stupid subplots fall away and the writing tightens tremendously. This episode was a return to form, and a welcome one at that.


Final Analysis

Overall, this episode escalates the conflict with some nice twists and turns. Some elements might be considered predictable, and some might feel like nothing happened, but when the writers stick with good story instead of shock value, the season as a whole gains integrity. The conflict is a lot of fun, and it looks like it’s only going to get better.

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

Final Rating: 8/10

West Wing 7.18: "Requiem"

Written by John Wells, Eli Attie, and Debora Cahn
Directed by Steve Shill

In which old friends return to attend Leo McGarry’s funeral and wake, but nothing will stop the political jockeying that comes with the Santos presidential victory…


This is a difficult epsiode to review, because it’s clear that the producers were trying to preserve their original plans through the end of the series while dealing with John Spenser’s passing. Whatever some producers might say about the plans for a Vinick win, it really felt like the issue slated for this episode was the first step in the Santos transition.

That side of the episode played very conventionally, at least from the “West Wing” point of view. It was clear that Santos would bow down to the logic of the situation before long; the point was the tension between Josh and Santos. Josh is beginning to realize that winning the election was only one step in the learning process. It’s going to take quite a learning curve to become the next Leo.

I say “the next Leo” because making CJ his successor had an unintended consequence. CJ got the job done, but it never felt like she had the command of the position. She kept things moving, but she didn’t drive anything to the degree that Leo did in the early years. But that fit within the “ruling the tomb” atmosphere of the late Bartlet administration. Bartlet’s second term was filled with unrealized potential.

Leo’s legacy is such that Josh has massive shoes to fill for his president. Frankly, they don’t have the deep trust that existed between Bartlet and Leo. Josh is still working out the best way to advise Santos, and Santos is still trying to get a sense of independence. They need to start working on the same page, and that means that Josh needs to settle down and work out where his life is going.

Just because Josh and his learning curve can be tied directly to his desire to live up to Leo’s memory doesn’t mean that this plot element ties into the rest of the episode very well. The funeral at the top was very well done, and I was really hoping for more. I wouldn’t have minded a few speeches in memory of the man, a ripping Bartlet monologue, a few graveside moments, but alas. I was really expecting Josh to visit the grave at the end of the day and say something personal and meaningful, even beg for some advice, just so it could all hang together.

But the wake, both public and private, didn’t go far enough or remain separate enough to provide the necessary cathartic release. There was never a time to reflect on Leo and what he brought to the characters and the series. And perhaps there’s good reason for that: the Sorkinites would have ripped into anything that was overly sentimental, accusing Wells of cheap dramatics. But caution, in this case, may have been the wrong way to go; it’s too easy to compare this negatively to “Two Cathedrals”.

Even so, the message is clear: the political demands of the transition wait for nothing. In a way, it might be the message directly to the audience from the producers: to wrap this up right, this is what needs to be done. As easy as that might be to understand, it still doesn’t take away from the fact that the audience is left wanting more.

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

Final Rating: 6/10

Prison Break 1.18: "Bluff"

Written by Unavailable
Directed by Unavailable

In which Michael continues to work Haywire to get the missing section of the tattoo while the rest of the Escape Squad must work together to keep Michael’s cell from being auctioned…


This episode started with a set of serious problems for the Escape Squad, and it just continued to get worse. Michael can be damned clever, but making Haywire puke using his fingers? Nice touch! He couldn’t anticipate that the guards would toss up his cell for auction that quickly, though, could he? C-Note pulls together a plan pretty damn fast, and since the writers actually pay attention to continuity, it leads to bad news all around with his old crew.

The closer we get to the actual escape, the more convoluted it gets. Michael’s little scheme to use Haywire (still a fun character!) has its clear disadvantages. Mess with someone who makes connections and force them to remember things, and it’s sure to backfire. And getting a message to Sucre means giving out a piece of information that he didn’t need out in the open.

The best thing about having Michael off on his own, as I said in my review for the previous episode, is the time taken to focus on the rest of the team. T-Bag may be smooth with the cards, but C-Note is much better with the bluff. I’ll say this: televised poker is a lot more interesting than I would usually give credit for, and it’s even better when one’s invested in the stakes.

The writers are clearly making everyone sacrifice something they value for the chance to escape, and it makes it so much better than if they were complicating Michael’s plan to save his brother. But now that they’re becoming more and more invested, even more of the minor players are getting a clue. And frankly, that just adds to the possibility of a high body count before the end, since the minor players become convenient cannon fodder.

It all comes together very nicely in the end, and the Escape Squad seems to be back in the saddle, minor setbacks like Sucre notwithstanding. But then new complications arise. Nick seems to be in with “The Company”, which is once again acting very much unlike the CIA. I’m tossing out my original interpretation: it’s either NSA or something a lot more secretive. The writers did manage to overcome my original misgivings regarding Nick, so I’m impressed!

At this point, it looks like “The Company” has its own reasons for framing Lincoln, and they don’t seem particularly interested in whatever the Vice President had in mind. It would be quite the twist if the Secret Service and VP wound up warring with “The Company”, since it would certainly give Michael and Lincoln some room to maneuver. Assuming, of course, that they aren’t too busy protecting or saving Veronica and LJ from either side!

I said it before, and I’ll keep saying it: when things are planned out well, it shows. This series is building towards a strong finish, and I can’t wait to see what the writers have in store!

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

Final Rating: 8/10

Smallville 5.18: "Fragile"

Written by Darren Swimmer and Todd Slavkin
Directed by Tom Welling

In which a young girl with a dangerous ability to shatter glass with her thoughts is befriended by Clark, while Lex and Lana discover that their feelings are mutual…


Based on the descriptions for this episode, I wasn’t expecting much. Sure, Tom was directing, but how often have such directing debuts gone horribly, horribly wrong? Too often, they are fairly mediocre and completely devoid of a particular style. I’m not going to claim that Tom’s direction was unique or distinctive, but it got the job done. The only person who failed to get good direction in many cases was Tom himself; too often, he was overly giddy and smiling like an idiot.

As far as the story goes, it worked for me, at least for the most part. Clark really is the right person to reach Emily and get her to open up, though it happens remarkably fast to meet the demands of the episode. But a lot of pitfalls were avoided, and I wasn’t rolling my eyes most of the time, even when Emily’s and Tyler’s powers made automotive glass shatter in shards instead of little glass beads!

That said, one problem with the main plot is perhaps the most obvious. A lot of people knew that Emily’s ability was to shatter glass, and that those abilities went out of control when she was upset. Even those unaware of Emily as the probably source should have figured out what was going on quickly enough. So why were so many people standing there, when the glass started rattling right next to their heads, as if waiting to be killed? The teaser was the worst offense, because the idiot stood there and waited for the mirror to rip her apart!

I was expecting the Lex/Lana subplot to annoy me to no end, but it actually wasn’t so bad from where I was sitting. Then again, I’ve always felt that Lex wanted his shot at Lana, going back to at least the second season, so it felt like natural plot progression to me. I was a little annoying that Chloe couldn’t figure out what was happening, considering how observant she usually is, but it was a minor source of irritation.

The most annoying and unnecessary problem with the episode had nothing to do with Tom’s direction or the plot itself. It was that ridiculous “Hunt for Fine” sponsored by AOL. First of all, I hate overt product placement, especially when it clashes with common sense. Why in the name of hell would Lex be using AOL for something he wants to keep secure and private? Wouldn’t someone like Lex have a secure network of his own, or at least something he could use?

The worst of it is that it didn’t mesh at all with the plot as a whole. It felt like the AOL references were out of nowhere and tossed into the story without any thought. It made the whole mess far more egregious, and if I were Tom Welling, I’d be pissed that my directorial debut was completely compromised by needless corporate shilling.

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

Final Rating: 7/10

Come on by!!

Just wanted to give everyone who stops by and reads my LJ to come by the Myspace site, which will be focusing on books, music, TAPS, and some interesting folk I've come to know of late:

http://www.myspace.com/entil2001

OR

http://blog.myspace.com/entil2001

Ghost Hunters 2.17: "12 Apr 2006"

Case #1: Leonard House
Case #2: Valentown Museum

Of all the things I appreciate about Jason and Grant, it’s how they react to a possible threat against a child. It could be the least haunted spot on the planet, but if a child seems to be in peril, they will do what they can to help. Contrast that to the less reputable “ghost hunting” groups out there, who would nickel and dime a family like that and care less about the welfare of the toddler.

It’s something I’m not sure Steve or Brian can fully appreciate (though I suspect that confrontation was largely staged). Jason will bend over backwards to find the evidence necessary to calm the fears of a parent. I think it has everything to do with the fact that he’s got a brood of his own and can relate directly. I’m not particularly fond of children in a general sense, but if I see a little kid getting into trouble, my parental instincts definitely kick in and I’ll make damn sure something is done about it.

The episode wasn’t the most exciting; if anything, it focused on equipment issues that can derail an investigation. What surprised me was the fact that I finally agreed with Brian on something, since I usually don’t like his attitude. I still don’t, but I did notice that Jason and Grant were a lot less critical of Kristyn after she killed an entire night of wireless audio than they were of Brian for less substantial offenses. I can see their point of view, in terms of personal history, but I was a little surprised. (And once again, I admit that it could have been a case of manufactured drama.)

Anyway, first case:

Frankly, I’m not surprised at how many incidents were chalked up to the condition of the house and utilities. That house reminded me of a place I lived in right after college. I would have been more concerned about the state of the electrical wires and plumbing than possible ghosts, but TAPS did everything possible under the circumstances. And that was one damn cute kid!

Second case:

Again, I don’t think that the conditions of the building were amenable to a strong investigation, and the loss of so much evidence certainly didn’t help. There were a few personal experiences, but they were easy enough to debunk or dismiss. I was actually surprised that they made so much of the railing. I caught that very quickly. I have the feeling that this was something that was exaggerated slightly for purposes of the drama.

Chill Factor: 4/10