Breaking Bad - "Felina"

by Lee Padrick, September 30, 2013

WARNING:  This review contains spoilers

Don't make me put my watch down.  

The series finale, written and directed by showrunner/creator Vince Gilligan, had the dubious task of tying up loose ends and providing a satisficing valediction to the world of television.  And he had 75 minutes to accomplish this.  He succeeded.

Breaking Bad is the story of a high school chemistry teacher.  The teacher discovers he has lung cancer, so he decides to use his knowledge of chemistry and science to make methamphetamine to secure his family's finance.  Only a strange thing happens along the way.  He discovers he's very good at it.  And that he enjoys it.  But the cost to achieve success in this underworld is steep, and the price demands a complete transformation.  In order to transform from Walter White, teacher-husband-father, to Heisenberg, drug lord-liar-murderer, he must shelve his moral compass.  No half-measures allowed.

The Blacklist - "Pilot"

by Lee Padrick, September 29, 2013

WARNING:  This review contains spoilers

OK, so I've been seeing these promos for a new NBC show called The Blacklist.  And I didn't know anything about it.  

I have seen its name show up on some of the Best Shows of Fall 2013 lists.  But thanks to the new ways of watching TV, I have somehow avoided the ads and promos that show up every fall on the broadcast networks.  On Saturday, I saw it advertise numerous times during an afternoon football game.  So, I fired up the pilot via OnDemand late on a Saturday night, which is apparently not a good time to try to absorb a new show about a Diabolical Mastermind.  

Boardwalk Empire - "Acres of Diamonds"

by Lee Padrick, September 27, 2013

WARNING - This review contains spoilers

Change of venue!  We're in Tampa this week.

Our anti-hero, Nucky, goes down to Tampa to hear a proposition about expanding his empire, without newly minted consigliere, Eddie.  Nuck meets up with Bill McCoy, who has set up a meeting with Gus Tucker, the local Tampa crime boss.  While he's enjoying a drink, he overhears Skeeter, a young real estate hustler, closing a deal on a lot in a new subdivision.  He strikes up a conversation with Skeeter and finds out about the residential development that's happening in 1920's Tampa ($1,000 lots, I'll take 10!).  Armed with this information, he attends his meeting with Tucker, a rather unsophisticated (i.e. redneck) gentleman.  The plan is to bring in the liquor by boat, and ship it via trucks to distribution points.  Nucky's concerned about the influx of new residents flocking to the area, and turns the deal down.  

The Bridge - "All About Eva"

by Lee Padrick, September 26, 2013

WARNING - This review contains spoilers

The serial killer arc has wrapped up and The Bridge is dealing with the aftermath.  And I must say, I liked this penultimate episode.  

We finally got back to the premise of the show that we started watching during the early run of the season.  The El Paso/Juarez dynamic is an interesting world and as the show moves past the evil mastermind of David Tate (who has a brief scene where he smirked at Marco as he was perp walked into the courthouse), we get a glimpse of where this show may be headed in the second season.

Hey, The Bridge producers, if you're reading this.  More Galvan and Linder, please.

And Sonya's character development is progressing nicely, as we see her lamenting the salvaging of her sister's Bronco and her new-found empathy for her "partner", Marco.  Marco's on a month-long bender after the death of his son (he doesn't seem too concerned that his wife is gone), and Sonya's trying to reignite his passion for his work, by stopping in to see him and his Walter White-inspired beard.  After a few failed attempts, I think Sonya has rescued Marco from his pity party and when we last see him, he's clean-shaven and at the courthouse (where the previously-mentioned Dr. Evil wannabe smirks at him).

Dexter - "Remember The Monsters?"

by Lee Padrick, September 24, 2013

WARNING:  This review contains spoilers

Dexter has ended its run, and all I can say is .. I enjoyed it.

I watched this series finale and decided to enjoy the last hour of the world of Miami Metro.  

We dealing with the aftermath of the Saxon-Clayton-Deb confrontation, and Miami Metro is on the scene (its sad seeing some of my favorite characters over the past eight seasons for the last time).  Deb is taken to the hospital and Quinn is with her in a touching moment.  I like Quinn, his character caught a lot of grief over the years, but it was fun watching his tribulations on the force.  Deb is looking like she's going to be OK, she's cursing.

And Dex, Hannah, and Harrison are in the airport.  Elway stopped Blake Shelton's closet for today's clothes and is in hot pursuit.  But Dexter pulls a classic Bay Harbor Butcher con and gets Elway detained by airport security.  Sawyer would be proud.  

Breaking Bad -"Granite State"

by Lee Padrick, September 24, 2013

WARNING:  This review contains spoilers

"Granite State" is the penultimate episode of Breaking Bad, and it is appropriately named.  Because of the flashforward that kicked off the first episode of Season 5, we know that Walt is going to buy a M-60 machine gun on his 52nd birthday.  He'll be going by the name of Lambert and driving a Volvo with New Hampshire tags.  Until this latest episode, we could only speculate how he arrived in the Granite State.

The title also describes Walt's predicament in his New England hideout, a one room shack in the woods of New Hampshire.  The vacuum cleaner repairman (we finally get to see him after speculating who he is, and he's veteran character actor Robert Forster), Ed, has to make Saul and Walt simultaneously disappear.  Ed tells Saul that his new life will be in Nebraska.  He later tells Walt that he's never had a client as "hot" as Walt before; we don't get to see much of it, but apparently Walt's downfall and subsequent run is a national story.

Skylar is in hot water with the Feds, as they are watching her around the clock because the cops suspect Skylar knows Walt's whereabouts.  Ed, Walt's only contact to the outside world, tells him that Skylar is being charged and her case is proceeding through the court system while she works as a taxi dispatcher. 

A great scene from our favorite sleazy lawyer when Saul tells Walt to not run, but instead stay in town and face what's coming, because by "hitting the ejector seat", Walt is leaving Skylar and his family "high and dry."  As we saw last week, Walt/Heisenberg doesn't have the courage or moral compass necessary to make a stand in a difficult situation, so our anti-hero hightails it to the snow-covered hills of New England. 

Walt arrives at his hideaway in a propane tanker (genius right there!) and Ed tells him that he cannot have any contact with the outside world or he will get caught.  Walt defiantly decides to walk the 8 miles to town as soon as Ed leaves, but in his weakened state, he decides to make the trek "tomorrow."  We don't know how long tomorrow is, as Walt appears to stay in the cabin for months, with Ed visiting every few weeks or so.  Walt even sadly pays Ed $10,000 to stay an extra hour and play cards with him, just for the human contact.  Also, Walt's cancer is back in full force and Ed is bringing him chemo.  Walt is in a granite state.

Walt finally gets the energy and courage to walk into town and he stops at a bar.  He calls Walter Jr. and tells him he's sending some money via Lewis for the family.  Walter Jr. wants nothing to do with his father or the money.  So Walt is devastated and decides to turn himself in by calling the DEA and leaving the phone off the hook so they can trace him.  But while he's waiting, he sees the Gray Matter couple on TV, and they are doing everything they can to distance themselves from Walt, even suggesting that Walt's only contribution to their successful company was helping them come up with a a name for their enterprise.  We see Walt bristle when he hears that, and when the cops show up, nothing but a glass is sitting at the bar.  I'm guessing we'll resolve this snub in the final episode.  How?  I haven't a clue.

Let's get to Todd, played by Jesse Plemmons.  Todd's story is the only cylinder that's not firing in this shortened last season.  I don't care about the Todd/Lydia relationship, because I'm not invested in it.  I don't think the writers had enough time to develop his character fully.  He is easily the most intriguing character in this last season, and that's saying something considering we have Uncle Jack.  But Uncle Jack's psychopathy at least has some redeeming qualities; he can be talked out of extracting payback against his enemies.  Todd, other than his mancrush on Walter White, cannot.  Unless he sees some gain from it, because empathy is a tool to Todd.  The scene where he's wearing the ski mask and threatening Skylar if she mentions Lydia to the Feds was incredible.  The tension in that scene, plus his subdued delivery of the threat, was one of the highlights of these past few episodes.  And his nonchalant execution of Andrea, just to send a message to his cook/slave Jesse Pinkman, really stands out as horrific in a show that is known for darkness.  I don't know who the M-60 is reserved for, but I have to hope its for that "Opie dead-eyed piece of shit."  Jesse Plemmons has brought his acting 'A' game this season.

Walt's hubris has been the crux of the show throughout his run, and I can't wait to see what happens in our last 75 minutes of this great show.  Let's hope all the characters that deserve it get some comeuppance.  And that some of our favorite more morally centered characters don't.  But I don't see how anyone comes out of this mess in good shape.  

Random Thoughts:

- Todd picking lint off of Lydia?

- I love good TV, but I'm not buying that Jesse can pull himself up out of that cage once it gets it unlocked, considering the average male can only do one pullup.

- How long has Walt been in New Hampshire?


What did you think?

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The Bridge - "Take The Ride, Pay The Toll"

by Lee Padrick, September 20, 2013

WARNING - This review contains spoilers

Our favorite teen slasher show wrapped up its story arc.  

I never thought I would write this, but Ray Ray was the best part of the hour.  Ray drags Tim's putrid body through the tunnel and finds more dead bodies.  He picks up a gold-plated gun (WTF?) and has a shootout with a guy.  After killing the guy, Ray decides to make it look as if Tim shot the guy.  This may be the first spark of intelligence we've seen from the pride of Tampa.  But that spark is extinguished when Ray decides to take a package he finds with a cartel logo on it.  I wouldn't have done that, Ray.

The rest of the show is devoted to Tate.  You know, the evil ominpresent genius that threatens to blow up The Bridge of the Americas if he doesn't get $1,000,000.  Or was that Dr. Evil from Austin Powers?  Tate drives Marco to the border line on the bridge, stops in traffic, and shows off his Semtex vest.  Then he pulls Frye out of the trunk and tells Marco that he will tell him where Gus is if Marco shoots Frye.  So we endure an overly long scene of Marco alternatively pointing his gun at Frye, and yelling "Where is my son?" and "I can't do this."  Pretty powerful stuff.  If you've been subjected to watching SpongeBob reruns all day.  Otherwise, its a big bag of not so much.

Sonya somehow divines that Gus is enduring water torture by following the pipes through the uncle's house.  And she finds the Gus-ter, but he's departed this mortal veil.  So she finds out about the bridge standoff, and rushes to the scene.  Just in time to stop Marco from shooting Tate.  Because Dr. EvilTate's plan was suicide-by-cop.

How does she stop Marco?  Why, shooting him in the leg, of course.  And while she's at it, she caps Tate in the leg also.  But she's too late to help Frye, because Marco had given his gun to Tate after he decided he couldn't shoot Frye.  So Tate did.  And Frye fell off the bridge (a long fall, by the way).  A bullet wound, a long fall, and I'm thinking Matthew Lillard's guest starring role is over.  But no, Adriana visits the hospital and Frye is alive!  Except he has internal injuries and a traumatic brain injury (maybe he can become a source of ACN on The Newsroom?).

So Tate gets arrested and he's flashing us the evil maniacal grin as Hank slaps the cuffs on him.  Why he's smiling, I dunno.  And Marco throws Sonya out of his hospital room because he's mad at her about something.  And he has a touching scene with his dead son in the hospital morgue.

If you find that you are confused after reading this, all I can say is "Me too."

Two episodes to go and we've wrapped up the Tate arc.  So let's get back to Fausto and Linder, because their stories interest me.


Random Thoughts:

- For a cop, Marco doesn't handle his gun very well.

- How the hell did Tate get through the border checkpoint?  Surely there's a BOLO or some type of alert about him by now?

- Hank Wade works so well with Sonya.  When he kneels in front of her and tells her to go see Marco, I see that he understands how best to interact with her.

- When Marco throws Sonya out of his hospital room, was I the only one that immediately thought of Michael Bolton's "How Can We Be Lovers (If We Can't Be Friends)?"

What did you think?

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Boardwalk Empire - "Resignation"

by Lee Padrick, September 19, 2013

WARNING - This review contains spoilers!

Richard Harrow has lost his desire to kill!

Our favorite disfigured psychopath has developed Dexter-like feelings.  We find out from his visit with his pregnant sister that their father died last April, and it appears Sis is in danger of losing the family homestead.  Also, the folks he killed last week from the Old Mission Title Insurance company were targets identified by a Harrow acquaintance, and Richard was hired to dispatch them.  But Richard, who throughout the show's history has always appeared to long for a normal family life, is having difficulty with killing.  First, he can't put the suffering family dog down, and then he can't take care of his target after finding out the man has a family.  What a difference a week makes!  But we all know that he will likely be drawn back into the assassination game before this season concludes.  His character development will be fun to watch.

Eddie wants some R-E-S-P-E-C-T!  He's being passive-aggressive at first, then demands that Nucky either accept his resignation or give him a "promotion."  The scene where Nuck asks Eddie his opinion in front of the Mayor is priceless!  Nucky extorts a cut of the Mayor's new construction project with the assistance of Eddie's soliloquy and by the end of the episode, Eddie has been given a more active role in the financial dealings of the Nuckster's racket.  He's even going to get a safe deposit box in his own name.  I don't think that bodes well for him, but we'll watch to see how that plays out.

Agent Knox is undercover for a young J. Edgar Hoover!  Nice twist from the writers, especially considering this is only the second episode of the season.  We should have known that the "simpleton" persona was just an act.  But there's more going on with Knox than his undercover work.  Last episode, he set Sawicki up when Van Alden's old partner walked into a booby trap.  I like the way Knox has been introduced and developed so far, and the addition of Hoover will give the show some new creative avenues to pursue.

Speaking of simpletons, we get our first look at Van Alden, presently in the employ of O'Bannion.  He is loaned to Capone and is part of the goon squad that shows up at a mayoral candidate's campaign rally.  Sadly, Van Alden appears to be the only thug that gets bloodied, as the campaign event crashers take bats, pipes, and fists to the candidate's supporters.  Gotta love democracy in the 1920's.  And Van Alden's wife is still spunky and doting.  I can't figure out where Van Alden's story is going; he was much more ominous early in the series, now he just serves as comic relief.  Let's hope his character gets a more prominent role as the season progresses.  

Lastly, we get an introduction to Dr. Valentine Narcisse, played by veteran character actor Jeffrey Wright.  Dr. Narcisse is a Marcus Garvey accolate, and to quote the great Slim Pickens:

"You use your tongue prettier than a $20 whore."

Likely this season's antagonist (we'll see), the voluble Narcisse approaches Chalky about the killing of Dickie, who was Narcisse's employee.  And he has the missing Mrs. Dickie with him!  Chalky feels inferior around the literate and educated Narcisse, and acts out when Narcisse asks for Dunn, in retaliation for Dickie.  Nucky intervenes and gives Narcisse a 10% cut of the Onyx Club, much to the chagrin of Chalky.  Then Narcisse eliminates Mrs. Dickie after her usefulness is exhausted.  And where does he dispose of the body?  Why, the Mayor's construction site, of course.

This season is shaping up nicely, and I'm looking forward to how Narcisse will mix with the main characters.  Plus, we're going on a vacation to Florida with the Nuckster soon, so Boardwalk's world will expand.  So far, so good.


Random Thoughts:

- Gaston Means gets a cameo!

- No Margaret so far, we'll have to see if she's still a player.

- Who is the mystery man that kills Harrow's target at the end?

What did you think?

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Dexter - "Monkey In A Box"

by Lee Padrick, September 17, 2013

WARNING - This review contains spoilers

Well, we finally got the answer to the question that's been on our minds since this show started.  And the answer is:

No, Ghost Harry won't be going to Argentina.

Really?!?  The penultimate episode of a once-great show, and we get THAT??  Somebody needs to put this show on a table and drive a knife through its heart.  I'm confident it meets The Code.

So we're treated to the aftermath of Vogel's death and everyone at Miami Metro is taking it pretty hard.  Her relationship with everyone must have been much closer than we thought.  The Homicide Division didn't get that upset when Doakes and Mike Anderson were killed.  Maybe they can honor Vogel with a streetlight to illuminate the LaGuerta bench?

Dexter is packed up and ready to ship out to Argentina, but that rascally Oliver Saxon is still out there, so OF COURSE our hero has to take care of Saxon himself.  Because Dex, and the viewers, were so emotionally invested in Vogel and Cassie.  We demand a revenge killing!  C'mon, its not like Saxon killed Batista, Masuka, or even Matthews.  Dude, get on a plane and enjoy your extradition-free future!

How about that ending?  Dex has Saxon on Saxon's table (nice touch!) and decided to turn him over to Miami Metro instead of giving his victim a demonstration of what his Ginsus can do.  So Debra gets to make the bust and take credit for bringing down the evil building inspector and homicidal mastermind that is Oliver Saxon.  Except the soon-to-die Marshal Clayton channels the ghost of Stan Liddy and follows Deb to the abandoned hospital, finds Saxon strapped to the table, and releases him.  Because the U.S. Marshal Service doesn't communicate at all with local law enforcement or watch the news.  So Clayton lets Saxon go, only to get shanked in the chest.  And Deb gets shot in a shootout with the now-armed Saxon.  That's our cliffhanger.      

Elway raided Nash Bridge's closet this week and dropped by Deb's house for a visit and a look around.  After his faux-apology and a good look under the sofa, Deb throws him out and moves Hannah to a motel out by the airport.  Because there's no way that motel clerks watch the same local news station as the receptionist at the Urgent Care.

I did like the "Batista sends Dexter off" scene.  Angel hasn't been given much to do this season, so it was good to see him get a touching scene with our favorite psychopath who now cries.  And Matthews got to say his goodbyes to Dex, so I'm not feeling as confident now that Matthews has known the truth all along.  Also, the Quinn-Dex exchange was nice, as the two old foes buried the hatchet patched things up.  I still think that Quinn's going to somehow figure into the end game, but I'm not sure how.

There was more WTF-ery going on, but I can't make myself care anymore.  Didn't even get to mention Sylvia Prado as the real estate agent.  

Lastly, Hurricane Laura is coming.  (Here in North Carolina, the state park dumped a lot of dead Christmas trees just offshore, and a winter storm pushed them ashore.  Wonder what will wash ashore in Miami after Laura passes?)


Random Thoughts:

- I'm so jealous of Dexter.  He must have a T1 line in his house, AND his Macbook is always on and charged up.

- When Dex had Saxon on the table and said, "I don't even want to be here," I said out loud, "I know what you mean, brother."

- As soon as Deb found the engagement ring in Quinn's desk, I thought to myself, "Deb's gonna die tonight."

- Since Dexter is "new and improved," he should have offered to refund the earnest money for the offer Saxon made on the apartment before attempting to kill him.  

- Hannah hasn't mentioned that her "Dark Passenger" is gone.  Dex may want to have a heart-to-heart with her before the expected nuptials.  "Sorry we had a fight this morning, honey.  I made dinner."

What did you think?

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Breaking Bad - "Ozymandias"

by Lee Padrick, September 16, 2013

WARNING - This review contains spoilers! - WARNING

Wow.  

I say this at least a couple of times a year (usually during an episode of Game of Thrones), but that was the best hour of TV I've ever seen (yes, I'm looking at you, "The Constant", S4 E5 from Lost).

"Ozymandias" was directed by Rian Johnson ("Fly" S3 E10, "Fifty-One" S5 E 4) and written by Moira Walley-Beckett.  The episode takes its name from a poem, written by Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1818, about the decline of leaders and the empires they build.  And what we just witnessed was the total disintegration of Walter White.  

The flashback at the beginning was our first clue that something horribly wrong was going to happen.  Here, you have a naive Walter White, clad in tighty whities, calling his wife after his first cook in the desert at this cursed spot.  He and then-pregnant Skylar talk about potential baby names, and Skylar talks about a $9 Ebay profit.  This is a Walt that has to practice his lies.  This is a loving family that struggles with same challenges that we do every day:  working late, pizza for dinner, paying the bills.  Then this innocent scene fades away and is replaced by the aftermath of the shootout.  

Gomez deserved a better final scene and death, but we knew he was going to be carried by 6 as soon as Uncle Jack, Todd, and crew arrived last episode.  Hank is badly wounded and still fighting, as he reaches for the shotgun that Jack kicks away.  Walt offers Jack the spoils of the Heisenberg empire, a buried $80 million if he will spare Hank's life, even stupidly giving Jack the coordinates of his buried treasure.  And Hank's final scene is fitting, as he goes out the hero:

(Hank to Walt):  "You want me to beg?  You're the smartest guy I ever met, and you're too stupid to see he made up his mind ten minutes ago.

(Hank to Jack):  "My name is ASAC Schrader, and you can go f--ck yourself."

Then Hank takes a bullet to the head and dies.  

The difference between Hank and Walt was clearly made.  Walt, even at his most menacing Heisenberg, never will possess the courage and moral center that Hank did.  Hank would have never shaken hands with a threatening Uncle Jack.  When Walt gets into his Chrysler, he glances at himself in the mirror, then turns it away.  He can't stand what he sees.

And Gilligan and company did something that most shows are afraid to do.  They killed off a major character.  Most shows fall in love with their creations, and if Breaking Bad was any other show, a "major character death" would have been Lewis, Flynn Junior's friend.

Walt died with Hank.  What we have left is a shell of a man.  A cold corpse.  He's breathing, his heart is beating, but he's dead inside.  Both of them, Walt and Heisenberg.  All of his deluded hopes and dreams will not happen now.  He can't go back to being a chemistry teacher, working at a car wash, being a husband and father.  Because its over.  He is no longer The One Who Knocks.  

Walt started this chain of events to leave his family some money after his death from cancer.  But that noble gesture was pushed aside, as the broken man that's been disrespected by his former partners and Bogdan realized that he could become someone to be respected (and feared), and hubris took over.  Heisenberg was born.  The man nodding to Jack's questions is not alive.  The man that tells Jesse "I watched Jane die" is not alive.  The Walt you see rolling the barrel of money now is just a primitive animal, doing whatever he can to survive.

Flynn Jr. finding out the truth about his father is heartbreaking.  He loves and respects his father so much, he just can't believe what he's hearing from Skylar and Marie.  And he gets his hero turn when he tackles Walt following the incredibly tense knife fight, steps between Walt and Skylar, then calls 911.  Flynn's eyes are open now.  He may even start skipping breakfast.

Skylar sees the situation more clearly also.  She knows Hank is dead, and that there will be no happy ending.  So she does what she must to protect her children.  That's why Walt's abduction of baby Holly is even more heartbreaking.  At least he came to his senses and left Holly where she can find her way back to her mother.

And Walt's last human act before he gets in the vacuum cleaner repair guy's van is to call Skylar, knowing that the police are probably there and listening, and letting her off the hook for her crimes.  

Yes, Breaking Bad is over.  Only two episodes to go, but its all resolution at this point.  Walter White, father-husband-teacher-lapdog, is dead.  Heisenberg, liar-drug lord-murderer, is dead.  RIP.  In his place is a walking corpse that goes by the name of Mr. Lambert.

We know that Walt is coming back on his 52nd birthday, thanks to the flash forwards.  We know he's bringing a M60 machine gun.  We don't know who its intended victims are.  We want to believe that he's coming home to save Jesse, but that's not it.  He just called for Jesse's death.  No, Jesse is now the property of and head cook at White Trash Inc., so there's going to be high quality blue meth on the market again.  And the great Heisenberg can't have impostors knocking off his product.

We are witnessing TV greatness.  Let's enjoy the final 90 minutes.  There will be no half-measures.

What did you think?


Random Thoughts:

- What the heck did Jesse say in the flashback?  It caught Walt off-guard.

- Poor Marie.  She's the show's most tragic character, the Buddy Garrity (Friday Night Lights) of Breaking Bad.

- Last week I thought Uncle Jack was the scariest character ever.  Now I'm convinced Todd is.  "I'm sorry for your loss."

- Loved the scene where Skylar briefly considered her options:  the knife or the phone.  Good choice!

- "Lambert" is Skylar and Marie's maiden names.

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Boardwalk Empire - "New York Sour"

by Lee Padrick, September 16, 2013

WARNING - This review contains spoilers - WARNING

Boardwalk Empire kicked off their fourth season on September 8th.  This fall period piece, for me, is fun to watch.  Not only does it take place in an interesting time in American history (the 1920s, pre-Great Depression), but it contains some of the best developed characters of any contemporary show.  The creator/executive producer is Terrence Winter of Sopranos fame, and he brings a similar level of intensity that David Chase used to make TV history about ten years ago.

The season kicks off with two guys at a bar in a nondescript midwestern town.  These two unknowns (because of the dark lighting, I thought one of the guys was Van Alden; thankfully not) are delivering an envelope from Old Mission Title Insurance to Ohio.  We quickly get a Richard Harrow sighting as he dispatches the two gentlemen, courtesy of a Columbian necktie and a bullet, respectively.  Later, our favorite disfigured sociopath kills the President of Old Mission.  Then shows up on his sister's doorstep.  Why?  I dunno, but any Richard is better than no Richard.

Gillian is trying to sell the mansion and herself ($30 for the regular, plus $10 for oral gymnastics, don't know how much that comes to in present dollars), possibly to support her new heroin habit that Gyp introduced her to last season.  I don't know much about disclosure laws back in 1924, but she should probably mention to potential buyers that the property was a Bunny Ranch precursor and the site of the infamous Richard Harrow massacre.  And she's also in court, fighting a custody battle for young Tommy against the Sagorsky lady.  But she meets a potential buyer that will likely be with us all season, in the form of Roy Phillips (Ron Livingston from Office Space and Band of Brothers), a Piggly Wiggly executive that is in charge of expanding operations in the Northeast.  

Al Capone is bringing his brothers in on his operations, and one of them is Herc from The Wire!  Al's complaining that a local reporter spelled his name wrong, so he goes down to the newspaper's office and slaps the young 22 year old writer on the back of the head.  A tense scene, but the young Jimmy Olsen-wannabe faired very well in the exchange, considering he gets to keep writing and breathing.  If Stephen Graham had shown this kind of moxy in Snatch, I bet Brick Top would have shown him more respect.  Also, his brothers call him "Snorky."

We check in on Nucky, and he's meeting with Joe Massiera, Lucky, Arnold Rothstein, and Meyer Lansky.  Lucky is now firmly the Number Two in the Massiera organization, and Lansky is A.R.'s Assistant Gangster In Charge (AGIC?), so it will be interesting to see how the Lucky/Lansky partnership develops under these constraints.

Eli's oldest son, Billy, is now attending Temple, but he's homesick and wants to get a gig in the family business.  And he has a mancrush on his Uncle Nucky.  He admits to Nucky that he now smokes, and Nucky warns him that college and smoking is where his own bad habits originated.  So let that be a warning to you kids out there, a cigarette today can lead to a future RICO indictment.  

Also, Nucky is Margaret-less and has his eye on a new starlet in town, who's willing to trade her womanly wiles for a shot at a starring role on Broadway. Once she admits her intentions (post-coital, of course), Nucky has a recovered-but-disabled Eddie show her the door.  

But let's not forget Chalky's new adventure.  He's running the Onyx Club (formerly Babette's) and he's working with Dickie, a talent manager.  Dickie's perky wife has the hots for Dunn Purnsley, even playing Charades on a cocktail napkin to illustrate her willingness to engage in pre-Depression kama sutra with the Chalkster's Number Two (I think I like AGIC for Number Two).  AGIC Purnsley engages in the tryst, only to get caught in the middle of some odd voyeurism thing that Dickie and his wife engage in.  After suffering a racial slur and Dickie touching himself while Dunn re-engages the Mrs. Dickie, Dunn snaps and kills the talent scout with a broken bottle.  Chalky gives him a lecture about playing well with others, and the two of them with Nucky and Eli dispose of the body somewhere on the frozen tundra of the greater Atlantic City area.

Boardwalk Empire is back and the season looks promising.


Random Thoughts:

- The bartender in the opening scene looked familiar, but I can't place him.

- Did I mention Dickie's wife was perky?

- No Van Alden (boo!), Jeffrey Wright, or Margaret in the opener.

- Is $40 a good deal 60 years prior to the invention of aciclovir?


What did you think?


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Fall 2013 - What's In The TVPhile Zone?

by Lee Padrick, Friday, September 13, 2013

The mornings and nights are getting cooler, the leaves are turning brown, and football season has started.  What does that mean?  The fish are feasting for the winter ahead and TV shows are premiering.  Its a beautiful time of the year.

Fall, just a few years ago, meant the broadcast and cable networks kick-started stalwarts and unveiled new scripted fare.  That "new show/fall" mentality has been upended somewhat over the past ten years, but this is still the time of year that most networks refresh themselves. 

Between now and the Christmas break, I'll be reviewing some select shows.  Those on my list include:

- Homeland (Season 3)

- Masters of Sex (Season 1, new on Showtime)

- Walking Dead (Season 4)

- Boardwalk Empire (Season 4)

TV shows often are at their peak in seasons three and four.  Many theories abound, but I believe that networks, producers, writers, actors, and fans have sufficiently built a world with well developed characters within the show by 24 - 36 episodes, and all are at their creative peak.  We'll test this theory over the next 3 months together.   

I'll also be talking about shows that are finishing up their seasons, like Dexter, Ray Donovan, The Bridge, and The Newsroom.  I have a few Tivos full of stuff I've been trying to find some time to watch, like Hell on Wheels, Low Winter Sun, Broadchurch, and the History Channel's Vikings (which has been sitting in a folder on a Tivo, only gotten through 4 episodes thus far). Plus, I'll be watching random stuff on Netflix and I'm sure I'll feel compelled to write about it.

So keep checking back regularly and enjoy some of the best TV that we may ever see.  The Golden Age of TV is here!


Random Thoughts:

- Had to edit Broadchurch because I spelled it "Broadchuck."  Did I mention I'm going to miss Yvonne Strahovski when Dexter ends?

- Richard Harrow (Jack Huston) deserves a spin-off.

- Jesse "Todd Landry" Plemons is cast in a potential HBO project called The Missionary.

- Scandal is going to be my guilty pleasure this fall.   

What will you be watching?  

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The Bridge - "Old Friends"

by Lee Padrick, September 12, 2013

-This review contains spoilers-

Later, Tim.  You were fun while you were here, but you pissed off the wrong widow with hot pants.  Charlotte just got shafted (in the un-Charlotte way) by her dead husband in the will and she's coming off her first kill (a pitch-forked Graciela), so it was a bad time for her and Ray "Close the Deal" Ray to find that ATF transmitter.  I wonder if she now carries a bag of lime around in her Cadillac SUV?  And is she going to make Caesar dig the grave, or will she do it herself?  Yes, folks, Jeb Bartlett's daughter has grown up to be a murdering trollop.  


So how does Charlotte tie into the main story?  Not a clue.

And where was Mutton Chops? C'mon, I need my Linder fix.  

OK, I think its safe to say The Bridge has officially turned a corner and given us a plot twist for the ages.  I mean, we started out with this show giving us the eye-opening reality of one of the world's most dangerous cities (Juarez) adjacent to one of the world's safest (El Paso), the ignorance of the average American about life south of the border, and political commentary on TexMex relations.  And now we're on a ride with a superpowered serial killer, who has impecible timing and luck, on a revenge mission because ... wait for it .... some dude porked his wife.  I'll be the first to admit, I didn't see that twist coming.

The show I started watching offered something different than "Scream 8".  Speaking of Scream, this was Matthew Dillard's finest episode.  As Daniel, he stumbled on his road to sobriety and Adriana ('Epoch from "Friday Night Lights" / Brock's Mom on "Breaking Bad") got him to an AA meeting where he had his Jesse "Problem Dog" Pinkman moment.  Great scene!  Then, when he steps outside for a smoke, David Tate sticks him in the neck with Dexter's M99.  

Say what??

Yes, we're watching a classic slasher film now.  What other show started with socio-political commentary, only to turn into Friday the 13th?  Was it Season 2 of Homeland when Abu Nazir became Michael Myers?  I think its safe to assume that Tate has a Showtime subscription.  Maybe Tate has done nothing but watch Showtime for the past 6 years, I dunno.  At least he gave a shout out to crazy Childress.  Remember Childress?  He is the guy that Marco and Sonya arrested a few episodes back that spouted all the political stuff that we thought the show was about.  

Alma threw Marco out again.  Maybe its me, but I don't think Alma gets to corner the market on righteous indignation, considering how she humped a serial killer.  Marco is a serial adulterer, but when Alma tells him that her father and brother are upset with him, my first reaction was, "Did you tell them that you put yourself in danger because you decided  to get in on with your co-worker who turned out to be a psychopath?"   

On the Marco/Sonya front, no new character development, just a lot of tail chasing until Tate decided to call Marco and meet with him.  Sonya did show some empathy for Marco and Gus this week, though, in what I thought was a touching scene.  And Gus is in a greenlit barrel slowly filling with water.  That's brutal, Tate!  

By the way, Gus is at the uncle's house.  You could hear the water running, and Tate paused for a moment when Marco said he was at the uncle's house.  

We have 3 episodes to go this season, and I'm going to continue along on this wild ride because I keep holding out hope that we'll get back to the original premise that the show offered us.  Or that Sonya will discover Tate's kryptonite.  Or that Linder finds out that Hank Wade is his biological father.  In the meantime, I'll sit through the next few episodes about the archtypal omniscient serial killer mastermind, because you can't find that storyline anywhere else on contemporary television.


Random thoughts:

- So Tate assumed Hastings' identity years ago after he faked his suicide?  Where's he getting his money to pull all these shenanigans?  Did his gig working next to Alma pay THAT well?

- Hank and Lindner could have their own show.  I don't know what it would be about, but I'd tune in.    

- I'm surprised Ray is still alive.  As soon as he called himself "Ray Ray," I just knew he was to be a redshirt.

- So how did Tate know Daniel was going to be a the AA meeting?  Is he following him?  If so, when did he put Gus in the barrel?  He's quite the multi-tasker.  I don't think Tate has slept in weeks, but then again, I guess he doesn't have to with his superpowers and all.

- Bonus points if you picked up on my "Homeland" reference.  Meredith Stiehm was a writer on "Homeland" before landing the Executive Producer gig on "The Bridge."


Quote of the Night:

"We used to play kickball together."


What did you think? 

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Dexter - "Goodbye Miami"

by Lee Padrick, September 11, 2013

- This review contains spoilers -

With two episodes left in the series, I'm left scratching my head.  How can a show that was pulling Primetime Emmy nominations as recently as last year (Michael C. Hall for 'Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series') become "True Blood?"  The difference is that "True Blood" doesn't pretend to be a serious drama.

We all know that this is the last season of 'Dexter.' So there's no reason to pull any stops or worry about setting a basis for continuation. This show should be firing on all cylinders, instead of constantly glossing over plot holes?  But what we're witnessing is arguably the worst season of 'Dexter' yet.  Keep in mind that a bad season of 'Dexter' is still above most of the stuff you see on broadcast TV.  But this is the show that gave us Season 4 and an awesomely badass Arthur Mitchell. And this season who do we get as Dexter's final Big Bad?  The underwhelming Oliver Saxon.

Looking back, I think a big part of me died with Rita in Season 4.

I had high hopes going into this season.  The first few episodes introduced to coldly dispassisonate Dr. Vogel, played by Charlotte Rampling.  This is Dexter's creator, who teamed up with Harry (before he became Captain Obvious, aka Ghost Harry) to give a young sociopathic Dexter a code to live by, that served as the basis for our favorite boat-owning vigilante serial killer.  And all season, we've waited patiently after suspending disbelief and emotionally investing in Dr. Vogel.  And what happens with just a few episodes until the end?  Dr. Vogel becomes a doting mother of another serial killer and gets a Columbian necktie for her efforts.  All at the hands and psychopathy of the previously-mentioned Oliver Saxon.  

The Dexter we knew in earlier seasons had to contend with the Ice Truck Killer, Doakes, Miguel, and Arthur Miller.  He would have dispatched Saxon as easily as he did Freebo.  Oh, the good old days!

Debra has come a long way this season.  Jennifer Carpenter has been a bright spot this season, bringing it every episode.  But she's gone from a suicidal backseat driver to harboring a fugitive in the form of Hannah.  And she's quitting Elway's PI business to become a homicide detective again.  Sadly, I don't see how Debra gets out of this series alive.

And what about Elway?  Debra's former boss (no hug?) steals alternatively every show from either Sonny Crockett's or Deion Sanders' closets as he and Clayton are in hot pursuit of Hannah, and I imagine they both will play a signficant role before the finale.  

Batista?  Not sure what he's doing right now, except agreeing with a neutered Matthews. Both characters deserve better.

Masuka somehow figures out his daughter (Becky from 'Friday Night Lights') is a pothead, which is amazing considering he has spent 8 years sharing a lab with a serial killer.  Sherlock Holmes he ain't.

And then there's Quinn.  Desmond Harrington has done a good job with a character that has never been given a primary  purpose, other than to chase women only to realize he's in love with Debra.  He dumps Jamie, which means that we've seen the last of Aimee Garcia exercising the "lots of nudity" clause in her contract.  But I feel that Quinn's buildup this season suggests something's in store for Miami Metro's perpetual dunderhead. Maybe Quinn's going to be the one to finally figure out who Dexter really is.  It would be nice if there was a least one good detective somewhere at Miami Metro.

A surprise this season is not the character of Saxon, but the actor that plays Saxon.  Darri Ingolfsson has done an exceptional job with the thinly nuanced character he's been given and he gets an A+ for selling "crazy."

Two episodes to go, and I don't have a strong feeling whether or not Dexter gets to retire to Argentina with Hannah, Harrison, and Ghost Harry.  But I've been with this show through thick and thin (lots of "thin" lately) for 94 episodes, what's a few more hours?

Quote of the night:

Debra:  Hanging out with two serial killers.  Doesn't get better than that.

What did you think?

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Battlestar Galactica - Series Review

by Lee Padrick, September 11, 2013

-This review contains spoilers-


Finally finished my summer project.  Been watching the re-imagined 'Battlestar Galactica' (BG) off and on all summer, and finally got through all 75 episodes that aired on Syfy from 2004-2009.  

For those of you not familiar with BG, your first thought when you hear the title is likely of the late 70's flop that aired on broadcast TV trying to capitalize on the success of the first Star Wars (or the 4th Star Wars, "A New Hope," as we know it now).  I had read that Ron D. Moore's version of the campy cult classic was much darker and character-driven than the original, but I hesitated for months before I fired up the mini-series (a four hour pilot) for a peek.  I was expecting a slightly less humorous version of "Firefly."  What I got was an incredible roller coaster of despair, tragedy, and incredibly nuanced, flawed characters fighting for survival in an impossible situation.  This ain't your parents' space opera.

Ron D. Moore teamed up with David Eick, and in 2002 they pitched the show to Syfy.  Together, they wrote the mini-series and tied in enough backstory to provide a base for a potential weekly series.  While they were working on the mini-series, HBO approached Moore about being the showrunner for Carnivale after Henry Bromell (of Homeland fame) stepped down after production started during the first season.  Eick handled the day-to-day operations of BG's mini-series and after it pulled the highest viewing numbers of any show on Syfy, the network ordered a 13 episode first season.  Moore left Carnivale after the end of the first season for an Executive Producer gig on BG and promptly wrote the first two episodes of the first season (including the masterful "33", the episode where I became emotionally invested in this show). 

Alan Sepinwall, in his "The Revolution Was Televised" book, talks about how the Syfy execs called Moore in after a few episodes and asked him to consider making the show less dark, afraid the tone of the series would turn off viewers.  So Moore gave them "Act of Contrition", where an experienced Viper pilot makes her 1,000th flight.  While the crew is waiting in the hanger to celebrate her accomplishment, an accident occurs during landing, promptly killing 13.  Moore says that after that episode, he never received any more advice on the tone or direction of the show.

The re-imagined show, much like Glen Larson's source material from 25 years ago, is the story of humanity on the run from machines that have risen up against their human masters.  But that is where the similarities end.  Did I mention this show is dark?  Just when you think things can't possibly get any bleaker for humanity, something horrific happens.  You start to get a foreboding sense that no one's getting out of this mess alive.  Or intact.  Or unbroken.

BG has some fine actors playing well-developed characters, from the beautiful Trisha Helfer, the lovely and talented Grace Park, the Emmy-worthy Mary McConnell, the great James Callis, tough and sassy Katee Sackoff, and the incredibly gifted Michael Hogan.  But make no mistake, this show is the magnum opus of Edward James Olmos.  He may be Martin Castillo when you start watching, but by the end of the series he will forever be remembered as William Adama.  Old men rule!

An aspect of BG that is striking is the parallels made to contemporary issues, from the war on terror to limitations placed on civil liberties.  This show doesn't do subtle, and there's nothing subtle about Moore's allegorical view of our world post-9/11.  From sleeper cells, suicide bomber attacks, insurgency, occupation, and competing religions, this show will will leave you thinking long after the credits have rolled.

If you're looking for a great, character-driven drama about abject human misery and despair, BG is for you.  Moore and company do a great job to keep you engrossed in this alternate world, with stunning special effects and awesome cinematography.  Shame on the Academy for not handing out more Emmy nominations to a show done this well.  

So if you find yourself staying up late because you have to watch one more episode, don't frakking blame me.


Best quotes of the series:

- "So say we all."

- "All this has happened before and will happen again."    

- Bill and Saul's exchange:  "They told me you were dead!"  "For a while, I was." 

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Welcome to the TVphile Zone

by Lee Padrick, September 11. 2013

I'm an admitted TVphile.  I love good TV.  With the success and talent that TV has produced in the past 10 years, we are fortunate to live in the golden age of television.  

I started this blog to catalog my thoughts on the various shows I watch, and to generate discussion.  My reviews will include serious dissection and flashes of humor.  If I make a reference to another show, an actor/actress, a showrunner, producer, director, or writer and you don't understand the reference, Google it!  The easiest way is to highlight the reference, right click on the highlighted reference, and click 'Search Google for ____".  And/or Wikipedia it.

If you like what you're reading, check out The TVPhile Zone on Facebook.

Please don't hesitate to comment if you agree/disagree/have further thoughts about anything you read here.  I look forward to reviewing and discussing TV with you. - Lee