Category Archives: TV-G[eek]

The X-Files S9 E12, E13, E14, E15, E16

Posted on by

Spoilers

I watched a series of X-Files episodes during the ninth season this afternoon. I’m hoping to wrap up the rewatch of the X-Files this summer, and this was a big step in that direction.

“Underneath”

I found this episode was similar to many other episodes this season. I realized this watching this episode. This season, Doggett, Reyes and Scully rarely actually investigated an X-Files. The cases that they were investigating coincidentally become X-Files, but they were not brought in because of their expertise in the X-Files. This episode did have a neat story about a serial killer who had a different personality.

“Improbable”

And as soon as I was coming up with my theory about cases not being X-Files, episode 13 had Scully come into the X-Files office and Monica laid out the case on the overhead projector just like Mulder used to do. Burt Reynolds guest starred in this episode as, I guess, God. I found this to be a silly episode involving some numerology. This serial killer was killing people based on this numerology, though that was never really explained.

“Scary Monsters”

I think this was my favorite of the run of episodes, although there were plenty of weirdness and silliness here too. A boy who can project some kind of images, making people believe they were seeing or feeling things that they were not. Agent Leyla Harrison returned from an episode from a previous season trying to recruit Scully first and then Doggett and Reyes to look at a case that she claimed was an X-File. Scully’s end of the case was particularly enjoyable as she was given the comedic aspects of the episode, including an autopsy that she wound up performing on a cat. There were a bunch of allusions made by Agent Harrison to previous X-Files episodes, which were fun little tidbits.

“Jump the Shark”

This felt like a final wrap up of the Lone Gunmen spin-off series that lasted 13-episodes on FOX. The show brought back former Man in Black, Morris Fletcher, played by Michael McKeon, from episode “Dreamland” from season six. This led to the Lone Gunmen sacrificing their lives to prevent a release of a virus. I remember being shocked and angry when the Lone Gunmen died in this episode.

I do hate the term “Jump the Shark” which this episode was named after. The term is based after a Happy Days episode where the Fonz legitimately jumped a shark on water skis. The term has come to mean when a TV show has peaked and is in decline. The reason I hated the term was that people started to use it any time that they did not like something that was on a show. It was one of the first comments that would lead to such a negative discourse on the internet.

If this would be the end of the Lone Gunman, there should have been more Scully in the episode. She only had a small bit at the funeral at the end. She said how important they were to her, and I would have liked to have seen more of that during this episode.

“William”

This episode was directed by David Duchovny and dealt with the baby of Scully, William. There was a burnt man who was captured and Doggett believed that this was Mulder. The show made it seem like this burnt man was Mulder, but Scully never believed that was the truth. It turned out that it was Jeffrey Spender, Mulder’s half-brother and the son of Cigarette Smoking Man who was supposedly killed by CSM. That was a good twist. It was all about getting to William and make him human. That was a bizarre storyline element that did not make much sense.

However, I do think that the idea that Scully put William up for adoption to keep him safe from the aliens and anyone else makes a lot of sense and it put a period on the William story for now. I know William returns later in the newer seasons, but this worked well for this season.

The X-Files S9 E11

Posted on by

Spoilers

“Audrey Pauley”

This was a strange episode.

Monica gets involved in a car crash where a drunk driver hit her and she is taken t the hospital. There it appears that she is brain dead, though her body is still functioning. John refuses to accept the evidence before his eyes, despite the fact that everyone, including Scully, does not believe him. Monica is actually in a deserted hospital and she can only see a few other people there.

One of the people in the mysterious hospital was named Audrey and she was able to be in both the mysterious hospital and the real world. Turned out that she somehow created the mysterious hospital (along with a tiny dollhouse type of hospital) in her mind, I guess. The form this takes is not overly clear, nor how or why she was able to do this.

Another issue was the doctor, played by Jack Blessing, who was known as Mr. MacGillicuddy on Moonlighting, was poisoning patients and putting them into these brain dead situations to… I don’t know… help them die after that? MacGillicuddy’s motives were not explored too deeply. However, he did kill off a nurse who saw him give a shot that was not on the charts, and, eventually, Audrey. I don’t know why MacGillicuddy took such a dark turn after Moonlighting went off the air. Heck, if I remember Moonlighting, I think MacGillicuddy died in the last episode. Maybe he was in this mysterious hospital then.

I’m kidding of course. There is just so much unexplained, even for an X-Files episode, that I had some trouble buying it. It also does not help that Monica is one of my least favorite characters on the show. I was impressed with Robert Patrick’s performance. He brought some solid work grieving the woman that he loved.

Admittedly, the love Doggett felt for Monica seemed to be fast tracked here. I got some implication that they had feelings for one another, but nothing to this extent until this episode. Still, I can let that slide. I do have an issue with Doggett not telling Scully what he thought was happening. He said once that Scully would think he was crazy… but he should know by now that Scully always listened to crazy theories and never outright dismissed them. You would think that John would know that by now.

Overall, there were some interesting ideas here, and some solid to great performances. There are just too many things lacking in my opinion for this to be anything but a mid episode.

Duster S1 E4

Posted on by

Spoilers

“Criminalus Velocitus Super-Sonicus”

Duster kicked off the episode with Jim picturing himself in a Looney Tunes cartoon, specifically the Road Runner cartoons.

No… really.

Jim was worried that he was being pursued by an assassin, and it translated perfectly into the world of Looney Tunes.

Meanwhile, Nina and Awan head into Navajo country, something that would hit close to home for Awan.

Duster also seems to have a thing for special items. Last week it was Elvis’s blue suede shoes. This week it is Howard Hughes’s car.

That car ends up being a huge piece in a confrontation between Jim and the assassin sent after him as Jim continues to show his creativity and his charm in dealing with people.

Of course, he has lost Hughes’s car and now has to go back to his boss with only an explanation.

Poker Face S2 E7

Posted on by

Spoilers

“One Last Job”

I felt bad for Charlie here. She met a man who was the manager of a  SuperSave big-box store (played by Corey Hawkins), but he ends up being the dead body.

This episode took a bunch of film genres and crammed them together. It was a rom-com, a heist movie, an action/adventure and maybe some thriller.

There were also a bunch of allusions from movies in this episode. They referred to the “Die Hard is a Christmas movie” argument, a couple different things from Mission: Impossible, Weekend at Bernie’s, and even It’s a Wonderful Life.

This episode felt a tad rushed, as Charlie gets our bad guy (though not a real bad guy… more of a guy who got in over his head) quickly. Everything was just so fun, and helped us understand that, no matter how much we would like it to be, real life is not like the movies.

Even though it felt rushed, I enjoyed this episode very much. It once again played with the format. Last week and this week’s both were directed by Alan Arkin and he seems to have a cool idea for this show.

Sunday Morning Sidewalk #20

Posted on by

Spoilers

“Lost Hearts”

I may be wrong, but I believe this episode of The Sandman was designed as the season finale, and the eleventh episode was a surprise. “Lost Hearts” brought to an end the storyline of the Corinthian and and the Vortex, Rose Walker.

I have to say, the conclusion of these arcs and what felt like a season finale was extremely satisfying. I was very pleased with the end for Rose Walker, as she was able to live after Unity came to her and had her give away the Vortex. It seemed as if Unity was fated to be the Vortex but it happened during Morpheus’s imprisonment and so it passed along to offspring. This was a solid way to save a character that we had come to connect with over the last several episodes.

The Corinthian did go out with little fanfare. Gilbert’s return was great as he came to talk with Rose and Morpheus. The reveal that Fiddler’s Green was a place seemed to make perfect sense.

The tense showdown with Morpheus and Desire hinted at what could have been part of the future of the series, as did the final tag with Lucifer and Lord Azazel in Hell. Lord Azazel sure looked like a group of Venom symbiotes inside a body frame. It was not the best depiction of that character.

My favorite scene was Morpheus recreating Gault as a dream instead of a nightmare and how he now looked upon Lucienne in a different light. I have been critical of the character of Morpheus this season because it felt as if he was anything but the hero of this story. I like the fact that it seemed as if he had some growth too.

One more episode of the Netflix show remaining.

The X-Files S9 E10

Posted on by

Spoilers

“Providence”

This is the second part of the previous episode that focused on the mysterious group who was after Scully’s son, William.

The whole William storyline is the same type of weirdness that the X-Files has done over the years. I am not sure exactly what is accurate and what is just a red herring. It reminds me very much like the mystery behind Mulder’s sister, Samantha. You were never quite sure what was the truth and what was misdirection.

We do learn that Toothpick Man is a super soldier and his inner influence within the FBI makes him the new Cigarette Smoking Man. Again, I think of old CSM every time Toothpick Man shows up.

Agent Doggett is like a cat. He has to be on his sixth or seventh life by now. He just keeps coming back after near death time and again. Monica is by his side, but I still just could not care less about her at all.

Of course, Mulder is much like that too. He was dead, and now he is believed to be not dead. Cult leader Josepho told Scully that he would let her see William again when she confirmed Mulder’s death. He asked for her to bring him the head of Fox Mulder. How’d that turn out for ya, buddy? His threats felt fairly empty, especially after he and all the cult members wound up burned to death by the ship as it took off. William survived though, speaking even more to the destiny of this boy.

The X-Files S9 E9

Posted on by

Spoilers

“Provenance”

The X-Files was back with the first part of a two-part episode that focused on Scully’s son William and the people trying to kill him.

It also brought back the spaceship from season seven. The ship that was found off the coast of Africa and that had words on it from the Bible, the Koran and other religious text.

The idea of a conspiracy continued with the FBI looking as if they are involved in a cover up, specifically of the spaceship. However, it appeared that they were trying to cover up the possibility that Mulder was dead.

This came from another FBI agent who had infiltrated a UFO cult and he reportedly discovered that Mulder was dead. Of course, I never once believed that. I’m sure I did not believe it back when this originally aired and I, of course, know that was not the case. Mulder’s deaths have been many over the years, and none of them seemed to stick.

Doggett is injured once again, this time hit by a car. He has been hurt more than anyone else in this series in just the short time that he has been on the show.

Monica was her normal, worthless self. I shouldn’t say that. She can take care of that baby. It seems as if the series had her around to be the babysitter.

The next episode is the second part of this story.

Duster S1 E3

Posted on by

Spoilers

“You’re No Good”

Duster episode three was pretty good as we had progression of the two sides to the investigation.

Jim and Saxton head to a meeting and some road bonding takes place. Nothing better than a bar fight because of racial hatred, right? The chemistry between Josh Holloway and Keith David is exceptional. Jim is torn between his beliefs about his brother’s death. He went from one scene where he was sure Saxton did not have the c4 placed under his brother’s van and then to another scene where he believed he did.

Personally, I am hoping that Saxton was not responsible for Jim’s brother’s death and that it was someone inside his organization that was at fault. I’m not sure though as it sure seems like the show wants us to believe he did it.

Meanwhile, Nina and Awan went undercover and broke into an asylum to try and speak with Agent Breen about the report from the Saxton case. Things did not go well as Breen became violent and nearly killed her with a knife to the throat.

Overall, it feels as if the trip to the asylum, which went against direct orders, was a failure. However, Awan’s passionate defense of Superman was an episode highlight.

I have been liking this HBO Max series so far. Josh Holloway is a powerful force in the show.

Poker Face S2 E6

Posted on by

Spoilers

“Sloppy Joseph”

It was last week that I wondered about the format of this show, worried that if it just stays the same that it could become too repetitive and dull. I commented that the show switched things up last year near the end of the season, all for the better.

Damned if they didn’t do it again.

Charlie got a job as a lunch lady at a private school and got involved with the drama of a nine-year old. The structure of the episode flipped around too. No murder… unless you count the gerbil, Joseph, the victim of a talent show magic trick gone awry.

This was a wonderfully twisted episode where Charlie comes in conflict with the gold-star earning, sociopathic child named Stephanie. Stephanie is willing to do whatever it takes to remain at the top of the class, leading in the gold star competition, but Elijah was catching up to her, and defeated her in a spelling bee (sort of rigged by the teacher, admittedly).

With 20 gold stars on the line, everything would come down to the talent show and Elijah had a banger of a magic act. Stephanie messed with the magic box Joseph was going to be in during the magic trick and led directly to the splattering of gerbil blood across the front row of the kids at the talent show, a scene that would have made Sam Raimi proud.

There were so many things in this episode that were fun, from Charlie amending her typical “bullshit” response to “bullshoot” to Stephanie’s outright blackmail of the principal, Dr. Hamm, played by the always marvelous Margo Martindale, to Charlie’s quoting of Jaws. The whole situation was surreal, but, as a teacher myself, I bought every second of the episode.

Sunday Morning Sidewalk #19

Posted on by

Spoilers

“The Collectors”

Things are picking up as the show reached it’s ninth of eleven episodes. And we are seeing how powerful and… dangerous (?) the Vortex, aka Rose Walker, potentially could be.

The setting… the creepiest of conventions you’d ever see. A Cereal convention? Killers, creatures, pedophiles.

The Dreaming is being damaged and Morpheus continues to show that he is not a heroic figure.

Gilbert returned and we discovered that he was one of the escaped nightmares, Fiddler’s Green. Fry is awesome and is absolutely wonderful in this series.

The Corinthian has shown his true side to Jed as he offed some convention attendees. This set up a huge confrontation for next week between Rose and the Corinthian.

Doctor Who S2 E8

Posted on by

Spoilers

“The Reality War”

I am very sad. Ncuti Gatwa had his final episode as The Doctor as the character regenerates after a huge battle with the Roni, Omega and an attempt to save Poppy, the little girl who turned out to be the real daughter of Belinda.

The action packed episode was thrilling and Ncuti Gatwa showed off his original variation of the Doctor.

We also got a cameo from a former Doctor, the thirteenth Doctor, Jodie Whittaker.

I know Ncuti Gatwa had his opposition among the Who fans, but I am here to say that I am now a fan of Doctor Who and it is 100% because of the work of Ncuti Gatwa. He has been the most amazing performer, with more emotion and energy than many action show leads. The Doctor was an original concept and Ncuti Gatwa feels like a breath of fresh air.

From the BBC, this is the statement made by Ncuti Gatwa after the end of this season:

“You know when you get cast, at some point you are going to have to hand back that sonic screwdriver and it is all going to come to an end, but nothing quite prepares you for it.”

He added: “There are no words to describe what it feels like to be cast as the Doctor, nor are there words to explain what it feels like to be accepted into this iconic role that has existed for over 60 years and is truly loved by so many across the globe.”

Gatwa thanked “Whoniverse” fans for “welcoming me in, and making this such a touching experience.

“I’ve loved every minute of it, but now is the time to hand over the keys to that beloved blue box and let someone else take control and enjoy it every bit as much as I have.

“I’ll truly miss it, and forever be grateful to it, and everyone that has played a part in my journey as the Doctor.”

Billie Piper appeared on the screen when the Doctor regenerated. I see that Piper was a former companion for the Christopher Eccleston and then David Tennant versions. The BBC article does imply that she may not have been officially cast as The Doctor yet.

Thank you, Ncuti Gatwa for one of the most human Doctors that we have seen yet. I will miss that tear rolling down your face seemingly every episode. Good luck with everything in your future. You will always be my Doctor.

The X-Files S9 E8

Posted on by

Spoilers

“Hellbound”

I do not like Monica Reyes.

I have seen this character now for several episodes and I just have not been able to connect with her. And now, with Hellbound, it feels as if the writing stuck her into a situation that not only does not make much sense, but feels very lazy.

This whole thing seemed to come out of nowhere and I disliked the manner in which Monica went about this case. I’m to believe that she is some kind of reincarnated being who has been involved in the same basic murder cases for decades, and all of this just started happening in this episode? I really thought the plot of this was bad.

Part of it may be that I have just never cared for Monica Reyes at this point. She has never had much of a character and this felt like a way to try and give her one, but I just did not buy it.

The effects and the make up involved in the creation of the skinned bodies was well done, though. It was some of the best effects that the show had done, especially the one where the skinned man was still alive. There were some excellent suspense built with some of the moments of the episode, but I just did not like the manner in which this was resolved, nor was I fond of the way they inserted Monica into the story.

I have not enjoyed season nine much so far as we have eleven more episodes remaining.

Duster S1 E2

Posted on by

Spoilers

“Suspicious Minds”

Thank you… thank you very much.

How meta is this when you have the actual Adrienne Barbeau playing a character in your show, while you have an actress playing Adrienne Barbeau in your show. And that actress, in the story, distracts an actor playing Colonel Tom Parker so Jim could steal Elvis Presley’s original blue suede shows.

Wild.

This turned into what felt like a Coen Brothers movie with plot twists and killers. Patrick Warburton played a hitman named Sunglasses that Jim hired to lean on the crooked cop that had seen him meeting with Nina at the end of episode one. That cop wanted a $10,000 pay off to not take that information to the interested parties.

Josh Holloway continues to be charismatic and entertaining in the main role. I felt a little less that this was just a Sawyer-lite character this week than I did the last time, which is a good thing. I think part of that was because of the bizarre storyline of Jim needing to steal Elvis’s blue suede shoes to pay off Sunglasses to take care of the crooked cop.

Of course, the crooked cop ended up shot (I guess not dead though). Jim and Sunglasses had a great fight in a bowling alley. Never knew the bowling alley was such a dangerous location.

The HBO Max series releases on Thursdays.