Category Archives: TV-G[eek]

Battlestar Galactica S1 E9

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“Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down”

Oh, the paranoia… it is so lovely.

This episode did a great job of planting seeds all over the place, making everyone feel as if they could be a Cylon. The concept of making the Cylons look human is paying off big time with this as you are never quite sure who could be a machine.

Before going on, I have had thoughts about Gaius Baltar. His charm and humor has made me want to root for this guy, even though I saw him making bad choices everywhere. That is over for me now. This guy is officially a villain in my eyes from this point forward. Intentionally not revealing the truth of the Cylon identification testing and just making everyone pass the test because it is easier that way is the worst thing I think I have heard. I was willing to give this guy a pass before but that not the case moving forward. He may not be a Cylon sympathizer, but he is not too far away from it.

The character of Ellen Tigh is over the top. She is very unlikable as well. I found her annoying immediately and I had enough of her antics well before Baltar gave her the questionable test. I do not see any real chemistry between her and Saul Tigh. This is not the picture of the character of Saul that I had drawn up to this point. I’m not sure Ellen is someone that will build better story.

I do love the tension between Adama and President Roslin. The questions about if Adama could be a Cylon has affected the relationship and the anxiety building is awesome.

It is fascinating seeing the Cylons starting to wonder about the feelings, particularly love, that humans have, Number six’s response to “Sharon’s” behaviors on Caprica is telling and will probably become a major theme of the show. When will the first Cylon switch sides officially? I think it is destined to happen.

I am very pleased that I have started this series. I can absolutely understand why so many fans loved this show when it aired. It is top notch sci-fi and has already developed a crew of intriguing characters.

Bates Motel S2 E9

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“The Box”

The penultimate episode of season two of Bates Motel was full of major events and shocking moments.

As he was being tossed into the box, I remembered how Norman was held captive in this box out in the woods. I remembered how horrible that was and how it affected his mental state, which was fairly unbalanced as was. I can’t imagine such a torturous situation as what Nick put Norman through.

I guess Nick paid for that as it looked as if Dylan killed him with that fireplace poker.

Romero wants to give Norman a lie detector test to see if he killed Miss Watson. But when he found out that Nick had grabbed Norman, Romero told Norma he would take care of it.

And we find out for sure, or at least as sure as we could, that Norman did indeed kill Miss Watson after he had sex with her. I said last episode that all the bad things on Bates Motel happen after sex. Here was another example.

Season two has one more episode.

The X-Files S5 E18

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“The Pine Bluff Variant”

This X-Files episode was refreshing because it did not have that air of supernatural/alien that we have come to expect from the X-Files and it was a dead serious one that could actually take place in the real world. That made this episode different than most of the series and it was a nice change. I’m not saying that I would want an entire series like this one, but the tension was tight and the story worked.

In the end, it still did tie in with the greater mythology of the X-Files with the government conspiracy at its heart, but most of it was straight forward.

David Duchovny was really great taking Mulder undercover inside a group of terrorists who were looking to test a dangerous bio-weapon.

Sam Anderson (LOST, Picket Fences) appeared as US Attorney Leamus, one of the men at the heart of this bio-weapon test happening. At least, that is what was implied though it was only through Mulder and Scully’s confrontation that this is revealed. Leamus said his job was to protect the people from the truth, certainly setting him up as a foil for Mulder moving forward.

The Boys S4 E6

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“Dirty Business”

Oh Hughie….

Spider Web!!!!

No…Zendaya

This entire episode made me feel icky.

I’m not sure what was ickier… the whole Tek Knight Tek Cave scene or the Victoria Neuman speech. Of course, there was also Firecracker’s breast milk.

The ick factor stepped aside for a powerful scene with Butcher and his internal monologue. The show confirmed one of the long running theories… Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Joe Kessler is indeed a projection of Butcher’s own mind, just like Becca is. The reveal was epic as both Becca and Joe were trying to convince Butcher to have the virus made that would kill all supes and Joe turned to tell Becca to shut up. Butcher realized that Joe could see Becca. It was a great reveal.

Poor Hughie. He was basically sexually assaulted by Tek Knight and Ashley, plus he was still dealing with last episode’s loss of his father. While it seemed funny at the time, it is actually rape and probably shouldn’t be used as humor.

If there was any doubt who Firecracker is based after, she made a “Jewish space lasers” comment.

The whole Homelander, Victoria Neuman, Sage story with the potential interment camps are just too close to what is going on in the real world. The timing of this episode’s release is unbelievably coincidental. The people at the Tek Knight party were some of the worst, most disgusting characters I have seen on this show yet.

And, by the way, I am not sure I’ll ever look at German Chocolate cake the same way again.

Battlestar Galactica S1 E8

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“Flesh and Bone”

A Cylon is captured hiding aboard one of the ships and it falls to Starbuck to try and find out what its mission is.

The Cylon hints that there is a nuclear warhead aboard one of the ships. Starbuck used some “enhanced interrogation techniques” aka torture to try and get the truth out of the machine.

The idea of the episode is wondering what makes one human and how close to human is the Cylon?

Dr. Baltar discovers that Boomer is a Cylon, but his mind Number Six convinces him not to tell her that she is because she may attack him and kill him. Baltar is such a coward. What is he going to do with this information? Just forget it?

Our captured Cylon is using its manipulative tricks and whispered to the President that Adama was a Cylon. She did not believe it, but you could see the slight doubt in her eyes when she was talking to Adama.

The Cylon pretending to be Lieutenant Valerii on Caprica seemed to be maybe falling for Lieutenant Agathon.

This seems to be starting to question how human these machines are now that they have these human bodies. I have a feeling this theme is going to continue over the seasons.

Bates Motel S2 E8

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“Meltdown”

All the bad things happen on Bates Motel when someone has had sex.

I wonder if that is just a coincidence or if there is an underlying message there.

Norma had some sorrow sex in this episode with George, and Norman is attacked with what looked like chloroform and some big muscular dude. Most likely someone in the employ of Nick Ford.

Romero is in the area at the time so I wonder if he is going to be the hero in this case. Romero confronted Norman about having sex with Miss Watson and Norman ran from him, clearly because he did not remember it since it happened in a blackout. Poor Norman really needs mental help and Norma just can’t bring herself to do it.

Dylan and Nick Ford’s meeting was tense too as Nick said the drug war could end if Dylan would just take care of Zane Morgan. Dylan seemingly got the okay to do so from Zane’s sister and big boss Jodi, which is really sad. Even though Zane is out of his mind and making a ton of bad decisions, it is his sister.

There is only two more episodes in season two so I expect things to really pick up over the next couple of episodes. Not that this show has been slow… it has not, but this feels as if things are going to elevate from here.

The X-Files S5 E17

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“All Souls”

I wanted to break up the run of shows starting with B with a big old X. X-Files season five episode 17 kicks off another Scully/religious story.

One of the most fascinating things about the series is how much the skeptic Scully believes in the religious symbols and iconography while Mulder, he whose mantra is ‘I want to Believe,’ completely dismisses anything connected to potential supernatural occurrences connected to religion. Any time Mulder is involved in these religious based cases, he takes on a bit of an obnoxious tone because his disbelief really sears through his objectivity. I mean, you would think that if there was anyone who might believe than a seraph came to earth to burn out the eyes of four young girls, it would be Mulder. It is really a wild dichotomy of these two characters.

Gillian Anderson continued to show what a wonderful actor she is, with her scenes in the confessional being highly emotional and she portrayed the confusion and grief of Scully perfectly. Her side as a scientist would poke through at times, even when it was in conflict with her faith. Plus, it is always nice when the show remembers that things happened to Scully and the loss of her daughter is a traumatic moment in her life and that it can come back as a hook for a case.

I am curious how Scully explained the results of the finale of the episode to Mulder and the other cops. It feels like ‘I let the girl go to be killed by an angel so her soul would go to Heaven because a vision of my daughter told me to do it’ doesn’t sound great for an official report.

Always love to see Scully featured front and center, and Gillian Anderson is always exceptional.

The Bear S3 E10

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“Forever”

Season three of The Bear leaves off on a cliffhanger that was really frustrating… one that I should have seen coming.

The ever elusive restaurant review finally is published and Carmy is seeing the Google alert on his phone. There are also several messages and missed calls from Uncle Jimmy and the Computer which implies negativity. Or does it? This whole review plot has been scattered through the second half of the season and it has been anxiety-driven.

The finale included the “funeral” for the restaurant, Ever. It included a ton of guest stars and returning cameos throughout the evening.

Above all else, I have got to say… I love Olivia Colman.

She is such a joy on screen. I mean, in whatever role she is doing, it does not matter whether the episode or movie is good, Olivia Colman will rock every moment on screen. She is such a magnificent actor that creates a connection under every circumstance. Here, as Chef Terry, she is a jewel, a character who clearly should be emulated by Carmy, Sydney or anyone else.

There was also a return cameo by Joel McHale, as Carmy’s old boss who drove Carmy to be the chef he is today, as well as give him panic attacks and the source of his PTSD. The confrontation between Carmy and McHale was as powerful for Carmy as underwhelming as it was for McHale. One hopes Carmy can finally realize how much like McHale’s chef he has become and understand that he needs to change his behavior or else he could cause everyone around him at The Bear to feel of Carmy the way Carmy feels about McHale.

This season of The Bear had a lot of experimental episodes that felt different than what one expects on TV. While the performances continue to be top notch, especially some of the cameos (I have to call out Jamie Lee Curtis once again), the story itself could have progressed a bit more than what it did. Was there any real progress in the story from episode one to episode 10? Most of the big questions brought up in season three remain unanswered heading into season four. While I understand building toward the next season, I need a little more results from season three.

Still, I thought this season on The Bear had a lot of great moments and I still hope that the answers will come quickly in season four for some of the storylines left open.

Battlestar Galactica S1 E7

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“Six Degrees of Separation”

I want to like Dr. Baltar. I really do.

However, he just seems to be so complaisant in the Cylons’ plans, maybe not on purpose, that I just find him to be so irritating. I keep wondering why he just does not come right out and tell the truth to Adama or President Roslin about what was going on. Everything would be solved if he just did not keep things to himself.

Of course, he is really only thinking with his penis.

I am not sure how any of these humans are going to survive these Cylons. They are just so far ahead of the humans that I can imagine how survival is on the table at all.

It was very funny when Number Six showed up beside Baltar and he did not realize that everyone else could see her too. That was a well done scene.

I don’t understand why he is doing what he is doing. Baltar is a mystery to me as it seems as if he is just a pawn and, maybe that is okay with him.

By the way, I love Dr. Cottle, as played by Donnelly Rhodes, who I know as Dutch from Soap. His doctor character here is unlike most doctors. I supposed sci-fi doctors are all a little different.

Bates Motel S2 E7

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“Presumed Innocent”

I feel so bad for Norma Bates.

I mean, all she is trying to do is protect her son. Trying desperately to give him a chance at a normal life. She is going about it all wrong, of course, but her motivations are pure.

She does not know what her choices will lead to, and I wonder if she did know, would she do things differently?

Norman is starting to understand that his blackouts are a problem and that something happens to him during those times. The confrontation between him and Norma over the blackouts this episode was tense and spoke more to Norman than anything else.

More trouble is coming for Norman too as they identified his DNA in the semen found in Miss Watson on the night of her murder.

Dylan is in lots of trouble too as he is stuck in the war between rival weed dealers. Again, Dylan is just trying to get by and make things the best he can, but wild factors just keep popping up. Actually, Norma and Dylan are a lot more alike than either of them would care to admit.

The Bear S3 E8, E9

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“Ice Chips”

“Apologies”

Jamie Lee Curtis is just so good.

After the episode 7 cliffhanger with Sugar going into labor at the store, we picked up episode 8 with her desperately trying to call someone. No one answered.

Finally, out of desperation, she called her mom.

Jamie Lee Curtis’s portrayal of Donna has been one of the craziest characters of the show. Her performance in season two’s “Fishes” was epic, really showing the wildness of this character.

However, we get a new side to Donna in this episode as she is there to help her daughter through the labor, from her own first hand experiences to some uncomfortable truths.

This was an amazing episode.

The penultimate episode seemed to be setting up some major things for the finale. Oliver Platt came to speak to Carmy, having something to do with the money owed. They are making a big deal out of the review that is yet to come. They teased the review both ways, but Platt said that if the review is a bad one, he would have to cut the strings to the money.

Sydney is conflicted over the job she had been offered and nearly talked to Carmy about it. Carmy invited her to the final night at Ever. Neil and Theodore went to see Claire at her job to speak on behalf of Carmy. Carmy continues to feel the absence of Claire as he went into the freezer to reflect on everything.

One more episode in season three to go.

The Bear S3 E6, E7

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“Napkins”

“Legacy”

Two more episodes of The Bear out of the way. The show is quality throughout.

“Napkins” was the origin story of Tina. Again, I was unsure where in the timeline this took place at first. After awhile, I realized that this was a flashback episode detailing how Tina ended up at the restaurant.

The scene between Tina and Mikey was just tremendous. The dialogue was sharp and excellent and did a great job of moving the scene along. It was a great scene as it always is with Jon Bernthal on the screen. Bernthal brings a true gravitas to the story and his performance works so well. I was just thinking the whole time how this was a guy who would kill himself, which I think is one of the main reasons Carmy has had such a difficult time dealing with the loss over the seasons.

Episode seven finds another restaurant looking to poach Sydney and give her the position that she always wanted. There is a reason she has not yet signed the deal for partnership at The Bear and I get the feeling that this is something that is going to blow this series up. You can already see how much Richie depends on Sydney, let alone the rest of the crew.

Meanwhile, Carmy is as spaced out as ever.

Oh, and it looks like Sugar may be in labor. How will The Bear get their C-Folds????

Bates Motel S2 E6

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“Plunge”

Oh, things are getting tough on Bates Motel.

Norman is losing control of himself more and more as the series moves along. He screamed at Cody when she encouraged Emma to jump off the cliff into the water and she nearly drowned. He shoved Cody’s father away as he had Cody in a headlock and he fell down the steps and looked to have broken his neck.

And when Norma was telling him about how George had come over to help her prepare for her meeting with the mayor about a spot on the city council, Norman was just working over the scarf in his hands. Go back and watch that scene. Norman was tensely folding and gripping that scarf with every word Norma said.

Norma caused Norman to be banned from getting a driver’s license when she told the examiner that Norman had been experiencing blackouts.

Everything seems to be collapsing within Norman and pushing him to a violent response.

NOTE: I just realized that it is funny, but the TV around EYG has been very alliterative lately. I am watching Bates Motel, Battlestar Galactica, The Boys, and The Bear. Only The X-Files falls outside of the B’s.

Battlestar Galactica S1 E6

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“Litmus”

It has been awhile since my last Battlestar Galactica episode so it was awesome to dive back into the sci-fi series. Especially with an impactful episode as “Litmus.”

A suicide bomber, who was a Cylon agent who was a copy of Aaron Doral, made it on board Galactica and set off the bomb, killing three and injuring many others. This set off a flurry of events including releasing the information to the public that Cylons can now look human.

It also targeted the relationship between Chief Tyrol and Boomer, as it came front and center. Boomer is a Cylon sleeper agent, though that has yet to be revealed to the crew of Galactica. The tense break-up that this situation led to was a powerhouse scene in the show.

It was fun seeing Dominic Zamprogna as Jammer this episode. I am not sure if he has been there before, but I noticed him for the first time here. Zamprogna has been a long time cast member of General Hospital as Dante Falconeri.

The episode had set up a tribunal to investigate the bombing, but Adama brought it to a close when he started sensing that it was becoming a witch hunt, which President Roslin had warned him about. Adama just ending the tribunal is a major point of this episode and may have an impact over the span of this series.

The Bear S3 E4, E5

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“Violet”

“Children”

The Champ is here!

Or at least John Cena is here, starting in episode 5, as Sammy Fak, Neil and Theodore’s brother. And he brings his excellent comedic timing to an amazing scene stealing cameo on the show that kills all the cameos.

I loved John Cena’s arrival and appearance. He was very entertaining as the show progressed. So was The Computer, a man brought in by Oliver Platt to tell Carmy and the rest of the staff what the future of their restaurant is and how they can improve it to make things better. Most of his suggestions are ways that they waste money and how they could do better.

The Computer was there basically to bring Oliver Platt back in. The whole scene in the back with Platt, The Computer, Carmy and the rest was really entertaining, especially when Sammy joined in.

Episodes four and five are two of the calmer episodes of the third season so far. The typical conflict the show has spotlighted over the first three episodes is toned down. There is a small bit of it, but the conflict is done more as a way for humor, such as Sammy ‘haunting’ Theodore because he had taken Sammy’s SD cards.

Carmy was at a lower level of crazy here, as he is starting to wonder if he is messing things up. Learning that his friend and mentor Chef Terry had to shut her restaurant had an impact on him and maybe brought him back to reality. Maybe he just kept his distance from Richie.

We get some sweet scenes with Richie and his daughter. Richie also shows how great of a dad he is when he asks Sugar if he should back out of his relationship with her so it would not be weird with Frank (Josh Harnett of all people).

There is also a review that is being written of The Bear that is causing some anxiety.

These two episodes were solid with less hectic drive of the first three this season which made for a nice change before things clearly will amp back up as the second half of season three gets underway.