Category Archives: TV-G[eek]

The X-Files S6 E7

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“Terms of Endearment”

I am torn over this X-Files episode.

Above all else, you got to love Bruce Campbell guest starring as this man trying to have a baby. Well, I guess there was more to it than that. He was a demon trying to have a normal baby.

The story itself was messy and needlessly convoluted. The devil image we got was pretty low grade too.

The show tried to flip the script, but it just felt forced and I was disappointed with the overall episode. I do love Bruce Campbell, but this was just not worth his time.

Bates Motel S3 E5

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“The Deal”

Vera Farmiga is a fantastic actor and she endues Norma Bates with the ferocity of a force of nature. That was on display in a scene with Romero as she confessed to him about the flash drive she had been given by Annika. She was also stone cold with her bargaining with the criminal Bob Paris.

And to say that she did not react well to the news from Dylan that Caleb had been staying up at his farm would be a drastic understatement.

As Dylan and Norman were telling Norma about Caleb’s presence, I was really hoping that Norma would take the news well.

Of course, I knew that was not going to happen.

Norma Bates is anything but rational when she is upset. The ending of the episode, with Norma packing her bags, grabbing the gun and leaving in her car was powerful and scary.

At lest she did not seem to strike out to Dylan, whose whole thing has been trying to find the family that he had been desperate to have, and who had been making so much progress with Norma. Her anger seemed directed more at Caleb and the memory than at Dylan.

I do not remember what happened as the result of this, but things certainly do not look to be going well.

Battlestar Galactica S2 E6 & E7

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“Home, Part One & Part Two”

Commander Adama was tired of the divisiveness and decided the best choice was to reunite the fleet that had splintered apart when President Roslin and Apollo escaped in an attempt to find earth.

I loved these two episodes because the story took a new path. It showed how people can bring each other together instead of tearing each other apart. Seeing Adama go to Kobol to find the fleet was great, as was his confrontation with Sharon, the lookalike Cylon to the Sharon who had shot him.

The Sharon storyline is awesome too because you think the whole time that she was being manipulated by Meier and that she was going to take that bait, but instead, she turned on Meier and showed Adama that she was more than just another machine. I did not see that coming and I really like the way the show has written this character. For the first time, I see Sharon as not just a Cylon antagonist, but an intelligent being who makes her own choices.

The relationships are all wonderfully played here including Apollo-Starbuck, Adama-Roslin, Sharon/Helo, Sharon/Chief, and Adama/Starbuck.

I still have no idea of what to make of Baltar and his mysterious vision. She was not from a Cylon chip that was in his head, so what exactly is she? Baltar sounds as if he has a plan for the baby that Sharon is carrying, or at least that it will work into one inside his head. What is Baltar’s motive? I really do not know.

The episode felt like a reboot of the show’s goals, specifically focusing on the characters. I’m pleased that everyone is back together.

Batman: Caped Crusader S1 E6-10

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I finished up the remaining five episodes of the new animated Amazon Prime series, Batman: Caped Crusader, and don’t listen to the angry mob of online haters, this was great.

You get a few race and gender swaps and people get angry. That is sad. These 10 episodes are still really great no matter how ‘woke’ you claim it is.

We get several villains that we do not usually get in the first stretch of Batman. There was no Riddler. No Joker (until the very final scene). No Killer Croc. No Bane. No Scarecrow.

Instead, we got Gentleman Ghost and a couple of characters who I did not recognize. One was Onomatopoeia and the other was Wednesday Adams. Um… actually, it was a character named Nocturne, who I had never heard of before, but she sure looked like Wednesday Adams.

Then the season long running storyline with Harvey Dent led to the acid-in-the-face origin of Two-Face, but the end of the two episode season finale led to a surprising and tragic end for Harvey Dent. I liked the way that storyline wrapped up. It was more than just what we usually expect from a Two-Face story.

Marc Bernardin wrote the Gentleman Ghost episode. Bernardin who co-hosts the podcast Fatman Beyond with Kevin Smith has done a lot of television writing over the years, including animation. The Gentleman Ghost episode was excellent and one of the better ones of the season.

While this does not reach the level of Batman: The Animated Series, Batman: Caped Crusader was a lot of fun and seemed to get better with each episode. I look forward to seeing the next season.

Batman: Caped Crusader S1 E2, E3, E4, E5

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I jumped into the new season of Batman: Caped Crusader after starting with episode one last night. This morning I went through the first half of the new season on Amazon Prime. So far, I have liked this more with every episode.

Batman is well done. He feels as if he is new to the world of crime fighting and the responses to him from the Gotham PD and the people of the city reflect that. The only nitpick I have on the character of the Batman is when he calls Alfred, “Pennyworth.” I know that is his last name, but it feels too distant for Batman to call his longtime butler and mentor by his surname. That’s a minor gripe, but I do notice it every time he has said it so far.

The show has taken its own takes on Batman’s rogue’s gallery so far, making some interesting changes. Of course, the female Penguin must have shaken some tailfeathers of the internet, as did the changing of skin color for Jim and Barbara Gordon). Neither of those changes meant anything to me as none of those changes made any real differences to the characters.

Other villains used in episodes two-five included:

Clayface. He was a top notch actor whose face prevented him from getting the roles he wanted and he underwent a experimental treatment which turned his skin into the malleable skin we know. I will admit not knowing as much about Clayface as some of the other Bat-villains, but I did like the use of the actor in the role. It made sense to me.

Catwoman. Selina Kyle felt as if she were the least adjusted villain of the series so far. She was a down-on-her-luck high society woman who took to crime to make her money. Her father had been convicted of some kind of tax evasion leaving her penniless. The Batman-Catwoman chemistry was still there and Selina’s outfit was very comic accurate.

Firebug. Another character that I do not know as well as some other Bat-villains, and he was used as bait by Bullock and Flass, both crooked cops, to try and capture the Batman. Bullock shooting Firebug who then fell to his death out the window to keep Firebug from talking really set the crooked cop up as one of the big bads of the series.

Harley Quinn. Harley was really adjusted quite a bit, taking her origin with the Joker out of the picture and playing her as a therapist who was brainwashing her patients into doing her bidding. Her bidding all had a positive outcome, like having people donate to charity or so on. She was not the crazy Harley that we have been used to over the years. She id definitely different than the Harley Quinn on the HBO Max series or in the DC movies. That is not a bad thing. I liked the new look at this character, but she did do the old “falling to her death” trope that we have seen in so many Disney movies. No way Harley is dead.

One of my favorite scenes was in the Harley Quinn episode as we saw one of her patients in the road dressed up like King Tut. King Tut was a villain on the Batman TV show from the sixties played by Victor Buono. This animated version was not a villain, but a victim of Harley Quinn but it was still cool to see him.

Interestingly enough, there has been no sign of the Joker so far in the series. I am curious to see if that will continue as the show focuses in on other Bat-villains. Batman certainly has the number of villains to make this work.

Batman: Caped Crusader S1 E1

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“In Treacherous Waters”

A brand new Batman animated series dropped its ten episode season one on Amazon Prime today, and I was able to watch episode one, “In Treacherous Waters,” to kick off the new show.

This first episode, which featured the new Penguin, a female named Oswalda Cobblepot, gender-switched for the animated program. She is voiced by Minnie Driver.

The new series definitely has the same flavor of the original Batman: The Animated Series, one of the greatest cartoons of all-time. Bruce Timm is back with an involvement in this new series, so that tone similarity makes sense.

Hamish Linklater is the voice of Batman/Bruce Wayne and the style of the voice is clearly in honor of the late great, EYG Hall of Famer, Kevin Conroy. Diedrich Bader, who has done a ton of voice over acting, is Harvey Dent, Eric Morgan Stuart is Commissioner Gordon, Krystal Joy Brown is Barbara Gordon, and Jason Watkins was Alfred Pennyworth. There are several other voices to come in the remainder of the episodes.

The style on this series again reflects the original series and looks really cool. However, the story itself was, at best, okay. I did like the first episode, but that is all I have seen so far and I would say that the level of animated TV shows from this past year (X-Men ’97, What If…? etc.) rates much higher than this so far. Of course, I have only seen one episode so far and I will definitely be checking out the remaining 9 episodes of this first season as soon as I can.

Of course, the gender-swapped Penguin will probably be an issue for some, but that does not bother me in the slightest. Minnie Driver is a talented actor and works well for the character. I am sure there will be voices out there who are angry at this change who will scream to the heavens about the impropriety of making Oswald Cobblepot a female. I am sorry for your pain.

Battlestar Galactica S2 E5

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“The Farm”

We got to focus heavily on Starbuck on Caprica. Kara is shot during a fire fight and is taken to a hospital. We do not know what was going on, but Kara was immediately suspicious of the situation. The doctor named Simon came to see her and save her, telling her that Anders, whom Kara had just slept with, had been killed. This was questionable for the viewers since that would have happened off screen and it felt like a scene that would not just be thrown away.

And viewers would be right when we discover that Kara had been taken captive by the Cylons in this ‘hospital’ with the intent on implanting her with a baby, using her like a breeding animal. When Simon was giving her the pelvic exam, he was acting quite sus. He did the old ‘namedrop’ trope where he used the name Starbuck and Kara had not told him that, which meant that he was actually a Cylon.

Katee Sackoff is awesome again. He powerhouse performance, both emotionally and physically, shows how epic this character was.

Meanwhile on Galactica, Adama returned to the command and continued to be stubborn and oppositional. President Roslin sent a message to the fleet that she would lead them to earth and any member of the fleet who wanted to go, they would be jumping. Adama denied this “religious crap” but it turned out that nearly 1/3 of the fleet jumped with Roslin.

The Farm was a sci-fi type trope that has been used before but this was very impressive with the set up. The implications of this reach well past just in our basic story. There are some major current world ideas that feel like this fits with.

The Greatest American Hero S1 E4

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“Saturday on Sunset Boulevard”

I enjoyed this episode of the Greatest American Hero more than some of the other episodes so far in season one. The story with Bill Maxwell failing the lie detector test for the FBI because he couldn’t talk about the suit and Ralph was a neat idea.

This gave the character of Bill Maxwell a little bit of development as he has to face the government that he loves so much. There was some subtle acting from Robert Culp in this episode. He typically played Maxwell in a very bombastic manner, but there were some moments here that were really well done.

I also enjoyed the use of the students’ from Ralph’s class in the story even though it is very improbable. The use of Tony in particular with Ralph was a nice character moment in the show.

This episode kept the super hero antics from Ralph t a minimum and I think that worked very well too.

Bates Motel S3 E3, E4

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“Persuasion”

“Unbreak-Able”

Catching up with a couple of episodes of Bates Motel. Lots of drama in these two episodes as the storylines of season three started to take off.

Annika showed up alive, for at least a few moments and gave Norma a hard drive protected by a password before she died from a gunshot wound.

The body floating in the water at the end of the last episode turned out to be someone Annika knew, a friend, tied to Bob Parris. This Parris fellow seems to be the next big bad of the show.

Norman and Norma are growing apart as they simply have ceased to trust each other. Norma is just not sure what Norman is capable of doing and the idea that his mother does not trust him is driving Norman even further down the crazy train. Norman is becoming jealous of the relationship that has been developing between Norma and Dylan.

The whole Caleb secret is about to blow up in Dylan’s face as Norman discovered that Caleb is staying at Dylan’s farm and the fourth episode ended with Norman racing off to tell Mother. Dylan is just trying to figure out what to do and he is afraid that when Norma finds out the truth, everything that they had built would be ruined. Max Thierot was very solid with his performance in this episode.

The X-Files S6 E6

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“How the Ghosts Stole Christmas”

A little spooky Christmas cheer with the X-Files in July.

This episode mashed-up a Christmas trope with a haunted house trope giving us something original between the two styles.

The show contained only four actors, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, of course, as well as Edward Asner and Lilly Tomlin, as the ghosts in the house.

Asner and Tomlin, two all-timers in the world of TV, brought a wonderfully different feel t the episode and their interactions with Mulder and Scully was the strength of the show.

There were plenty of fun ‘tricks’ played on out FBI agents by the two ghosts including showing Mulder and Scully their own dead corpses buried beneath the floorboard, and trying to manipulate them into offing each other. There was also a moving brick wall blocking the exit of several rooms in the haunted house.

The ghosts used this opportunity to share some dime store psychological tidbits on Mulder and Scully which hit pretty close to home. While it was intended to drive them mad, there was enough truth sprinkled in the dialogue to give the audience more insight into Mulder and Scully.

It was a fun, stand-alone episode of the X-Files which seems to be the overall theme of season six so far.

Battlestar Galactica S2 E4

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“Resistance”

Problems galore aboard the Galactica as Tigh had declared martial law last episode. This was never going to turn out well for everyone.

Tigh is just showing how lacking he is in so many ways. Drinking, weak-willed, constantly just wishing that Adama was there are ways this guy showed us. He has a wife nagging him all over the place. He has been a nightmare, with ever choice he made seemed wrong.

The president and Apollo run an escape from Galactica and show up with Richard Hatch. Their escape came at a terrible time as Adama does wake up just after they were gone and unable to be found.

We get Starbuck back on Caprica and they run into a group of humans that are fighting the Cylons on the planet.

The storyline on Boomer comes to a dramatic ending too with a serious wrap. Made me feel bad for Cylon Boomer.

Great show.

The Greatest American Hero S1 E3

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“Here’s Looking at You, Kid”

Perhaps the title of this episode should have been “Here’s Looking Through You, Kid” instead because Ralph discovered a new power of the suit, invisibility. And, of course, he struggled controlling it.

Maxwell had Ralph trying to do telekinesis when Ralph disappeared. They then spent the rest of the episode with Ralph fading in and out of visual in the most inopportune times.

The Greatest American Hero’s strength as a show is the comedic moments between Ralph and Bill and this episode was very solid, from the fading in and out, to Ralph taking a bus so he did not have to fly. William Katt and Robert Culp really work as a wonderful team together.

There is a case that Bill is working on, but it is truly unimportant. It just provided Ralph and bill with bad guys to fight while the suit causes troubles.

We meet Pam’s parents in from Minnesota for the episode. June Lockhart was Pam’s mother and Bob Hastings was her father.

It was a fun episode that took a different power of the suit to mess around with.

The X-Files S6 E4, E5

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“Dreamland, Part 1 and Part 2”

I recently spoke about the X-Files having episodes that are taking premises from movies such as “The Thing,” or “Speed” to fit them into the X-Files. This two-part episode takes the “Freaky Friday” premise and made it into the X-Files world.

Body swap films and shows were big at the time and it is understandable that the X-Files would go ahead and put their own stamp on it.

I love Michael McKeon. I have loved him as far back as Lenny from Laverne and Shirley, and then as David St. Hubbins from This is Spinal Tap. Seeing him as Man in Black, Morris Fletcher, was great and McKeon was awesome through the whole two episodes playing the new version of Mulder.

Seeing both Morris and Mulder in situations they were unfamiliar with brought some really good comedic moments. I enjoyed the Duck Soup-type mirror bit with Mulder and his reflection of Morris.

I saw some negative responses to these episodes and I did not agree with it. I found this to be a fun look at the idea of body swap and a new way to look at the Men in Black. Seeing how Morris responded to being Mulder was interesting, and Scully’s confusion was fun. I can understand that some may have wanted the main overall aliens story to continue instead of another funny episode. I love the funny episodes of the X-Files, as many of them are my absolutely favorite ones from the show.

I do think this could have probably been one episode instead of two as part of the second episode did feel stretched out. And some of the resolution of the story felt off. Even if the end of the episode with Mulder opening his apartment door to see of it was because of the furniture that Morris had bought. I guess this did not snap back in time as other things seemed to. That end plot hole was a little messy.

Otherwise, I enjoyed Dreamland.

Battlestar Galactica S2 E3

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“Fragged”

Adama is still in bad shape, and they had to go back in for more surgery. I liked this since they now have an actual doctor working on him. The emergency surgery performed last episode was not done by a full-fledged doctor. Now that Dr. Butch is there, he should be able to help.

The drama on Kobol was off the charts this episode. I do not know why Crashdown was such a jerk about everything, completely unwilling to listen to anyone else. I understand that it is a military concept of following orders, but this was anything but a typical setting.

I also wondered why Baltar’s comment about being the Vice-President did not carry more weight than it seemed to carry.

Tigh is struggling with the command of Galactica and takes some big swings at the end. Dissolving the Quorum of Twelve because of their demands and insistence for President Roslin’s release and then declaring martial law to the reporters… whoa, that does not seem to be good choices. I am curious how far Adama would have taken the same situation. Tigh is still sneaking those swigs of alcohol as well.

Richard hatch was back, but he felt fairly minor here. President Roslin admitted to her breast cancer in front of the pre-dissolved Quorum of Twelve, who seemed to buy into her as the religious leader to take them to earth.

No sign of Starbuck. I wonder how she is meant to return to Galactica?

Cobra Kai S6 Part 1

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The final season of Cobra Kai, a series that started on YouTube Red (remember that?) before moving to Netflix, dropped five episodes today completing the first part of the final season. I binged them through the afternoon today. Honestly, Cobra Kai has no right to be as good as it is. However, there were a couple of things that made me uncertain about where they were heading.

The show felt like it was really struggling to inject conflict among the kids despite the fact that everyone came together at the end of the fifth season. It did not always work.

John Kreese continued to be a cruel villain, as he worked to get himself back into a position to assume his role as main antagonist. The flashbacks of Kreese were tough to watch at times, but they all made a lot of sense for this character.

The mystery of Mr. Miyagi’s background is iffy too. I hope this turns out to be more than what it feels like because the initial reveal is questionable. I understand the conflict that it creates in Daniel with the questions about his mentor’s past, but I hope it becomes more than just some minor thing.

I hated what the show did to Kenny. It was played for some humor, but it was not funny and I was mad toward the others in the dojo and their reaction to him.

Having said all that, there was little better than that reveal of Kreese at Sekai Taikai at the very end of episode five. That was awesome.

Overall, I enjoyed more things about this season than I had nitpicks about it. It does feel like the second part of this finale could be sensational.