Justified - "Kill The Messenger" Review

by Lee Padrick, February 24, 2014
Justified S5E6

Can I buy you a beer?

WARNING:  This review contains spoilers.

A man walks into a bar.

After the last episode, everyone is sitting on the edge of their seats.  Raylan has confessed, sorta, that he was involved in the Nicky Augustine murder.  What is Art to do?

Raylan visits Art, post-sorta-confession, at a bar during a rainstorm.  He walks up to his boss, and says "Art."  Art punches Raylan in the face and walks out. 

Ava is now in prison, and the protection Boyd offers her, in the face of an Aryan crime boss, is not providing her the sanctuary she needs.  Boyd's Aryan buddy views Boyd as a traitor to the cause, and his sister roughs Ava up instead of providing protection.

Boyd, incensed by his former friend's actions, decides to collaborate with the Crowe family, and pays back the transgression with a fit of violence.  Don't expect the Crowder/Crowe business arrangement to hold for long.  Also, Boyd is trying to establish a Mexican cartel connection to supply the heroin trade in Harlan County.  But Cousin Johnny, under the guise of Hot Rod Dunham, is planning to cross Boyd and take over this apparently lucrative vice. 

Tim is suspicious of the fact that Raylan has a black eye and Art has injured his knuckles, but neither the protagonist or his boss will talk about a personnel matter.  Rachael sides up to Raylan, but Raylan will not confide in her what precipitated the conflict.  But he does offer some nice platitudes to solidify his respect for his co-worker.

This episode falls a little flat, especially coming off "Shot All To Hell."  But the last episode will likely be remembered as one of the best of the series, so it is likely not a fair comparison.  And the writers have earned trust over the years, so this episode will probably be looked at as an essential bridge in Season 5.  

There are lots of scores still to settle in Harlan County.

Random Thoughts:

- Darryl is really growing on me.

- Danny's psychopathy was toned down this episode.

- Tim needs to shoot someone.

What did you think?

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True Detective - "Haunted Houses" Review

by Lee Padrick, February 24, 2014
True Detective S1E6

Cohle plays shadow puppets

WARNING:  This review contains spoilers.

After two back-to-back action-oriented episodes, True Detective slows down with some character development.  But a needed change of pace to show why Hart and Cohle split up in 2002.

A lot of stuff that has happened as this miniseries heads toward the penultimate episode.  The internet has been abuzz with wild theories about what the show's two main protagonists have been up to for the past 10 years.  And a lot of those theories were squashed with this episode's revelations.  There is no supernatural (as of yet) stuff going on; this is a character-driven drama about the price that homicide detectives pay as they investigate some of the most horrifying crimes that humans commit.  

Maggie, Hart's wife, has taken the philandering Hart back.  And everything is peaceful in the Hart household.  But Marty, on a maxipad run for the women in his life, stops in to the T-Mobile retailer for a new cellphone.  A pretty young girl helps him find his new device.  And as he's walking back to his vehicle, he spots the Fox and Hound bar.  Holding a bag of maxipads, he gives in to temptation and has a drink.  As he is sipping a beer, the young lady who sold him the cellphone comes in, and approaches Marty.  Turns out its the young prostitute from the Hillbilly Bunny Ranch that Marty gave money and advice to back in 1995 when he and Cohle were investigating the Lang murder.  A few drinks later, and the young salesperson is flirting with Marty.  Marty gives in to his weaknesses, and ends up bedding the young lady.  But he makes the mistake of washing his clothes when he gets home, arousing the suspicion of Maggie, who searches his cellphone and finds a selfie of the younger woman.  This girl was apparently on the cutting edge of sexting.

Maggie decides to explore her value on the singles market.  She visits a local bar and flirts with another patron.  But she does not close the deal, instead showing up at the apartment of a hammered-drunk Cohle, where she seduces him and they have quick, rough sex.  Cohle, in a moment of clarity, figures out what just happened and throws Maggie out of his apartment.  Maggie, mission accomplished, promptly returns home and waits for Marty to arrive, so that she can tell him that she just cheated with his partner.  Marty does not take this news well, and briefly chokes his wife before regaining control of himself.

Cohle is warned by his new boss to back off of the Dora Lang investigation.  But Cohle decides his best career move is to confront Billy Lee Tuttle, after tracking down Theriot and finding out that some hinky stuff was happening years earlier with children at the Tuttle Ministry.  Cohle interviews Tuttle, and a tense scene ensues where Cohle lays down a veiled challenge to the Governor's cousin.  Cohle's boss, after getting a complaint from Tuttle, suspends Cohle. Cohle comes back to the office a few days later, and a fight breaks out between the two partners.

Flash forward to 2012, and Maggie is being interviewed.  Paponia and Gilbough ask a lot of questions about Cohle, but Maggie maintains that Cohle is an honorable man, and she does not understand how her interview can help their case.

Meanwhile, Hart has had enough of his interview with the 2012 detectives, as he figures out that Cohle is their prime suspect.  He leaves the interview, and is flagged down by Cohle, still driving his old F-150.  Cohle invites Marty to have a beer with him, and the episode ends on this cliffhanger.   

The penultimate episode is coming up, and we only have 120 minutes left with McConaughey and Harrelson.  We are now caught up to 2012.  Looking forward to how this show concludes.  I am just enjoying the ride.

Random Thoughts:

- Cohle looked like he let Marty beat him pretty bad before he defended himself.

- Still don't know who the man with the scars is.

- Tuttle makes a "Its hard to trust a man who can't trust himself with a beer" remark.  The Police Commissioner was there when they found the kids and killed the LeDouxs, and I remember as scene where they pour whiskey for Hart and Cohle, and Cohle declines.  And Marty is seen out drinking with his co-workers.  So its common knowledge on the state police force that Cohle doesn't drink.  Is the Police Commissioner the eyes and ears for Tuttle?

What did you think?

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Walking Dead - "Inmates" Review

by Lee Padrick, February 18, 2014
Walking Dead S4E10

Beth has writer's block, so she and Darryl take a break

WARNING:  This review contains spoilers.

Dear Diary:  Today I killed some zombies.

After last episode's "After," this week we find out what happened to the other folks after the prison battle.  And our favorite characters are a splintered group of survivors.

Darryl and Beth made their escape together, and they are wandering through the woods, looking for shelter and the others.  Beth's voiceover about what she wrote in her diary when they first settled in the prison is in sharp contrast to the contemporary state of affairs.  She is trying to remain optimistic, while Darryl is reverting back to his former self, the grunting, unfeeling shell he was at the start of the series.  They come across some fresh #zombiechow, but they can't figure out whether the remains are their former cellmates.

Tyrese is looking out for Lizzy, Mika, and yes, baby Judith.  So the "a dingo ate the baby" jokes will stop.  Tyrese strangely decides that leaving Judith in the incapable hands of Lizzie while he investigates a far cry for help is a good idea.  Lizzy, the baby rabbit killer, is annoyed that Judith is crying, and in an awkward scene, covers Judith's mouth to muffle her cries.  Luckily, Carol shows up out of nowhere to save the day, and the baby.  There is a budding sociopath, and we will have to see how the Lizzie storyline progresses.

Maggie, Sasha, and Bob are grouped together, and they come across the prison bus (that Glenn was supposed to be on).  They kill all the #zombs on the bus, but no Glenn.  How all the folks on the bus, who are not main characters, became zombies is a mystery.  But Bob said it best, "they were good people."  Yeah, if you say so, Bob.  Glad someone knew who they were.  But since no one even knows any of these redshirts, they are not a loss to the main story arc.  

Glenn awakens on the second floor of the prison, with lots of zombies crawling around below.  And he collects and scavenges the second floor for supplies, including the orange backpack that the #zombiechow guy was wearing when Rick, Carl, and Michonne met up with Morgan in "Clear."  He finds the riot gear and offers a great POV shot as he wades through the sea of zombs, while avoiding bites, thanks to the riot gear.  Obviously, zombies can't grab you when you're wearing the magic riot gear suit.  Good to know. Glenn finds Tara huddled inside a fence.  He rescues her, and they make their escape.  But Glenn, still suffering the aftereffects of his bout with the mysterious virus that ravaged the prison earlier this season, passes out.  And a military truck with three new characters emerges.  These new guys (actually, two guys and a girl wearing some tight-fitting military fatigues) will likely become regulars as this season moves forward.

Everyone is accounted for, and Carol, Tyrese, and the kids are on their way to the source of the radio transmission that Darryl heard earlier, so there will be a sanctuary for the survivors, once they regroup.

Glad to see the survivors are out of the prison, and on to new adventures.  

Random Thoughts:

- No Rick Carl, or Michonne this week.

- Lizzy is a little lunatic.  Carol should be proud.

- Tyrese, not sure what you were thinking leaving those kids alone.

- Glenn's opening scene looked like something out of XBox's "State of Decay," but maybe I play too many zombie video games.  

- Two dudes (one had a gun) were eaten by zombs when Tyrese tried to save them.  How do you survive this long and you can't take down four zombies?  I mean, one of you has a freakin' gun! 

What did you think?

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True Detective - "The Secret Fate Of All Life" Review

by Lee Padrick, February 17, 2014
True Detective S1E5

Life is like a box of chocolates.  And sometimes, chocolate sucks, brother.

WARNING:  This review contains spoilers.

As Pink Floyd once said, "Hey Reggie, leave those kids alone!"

This episode of True Detective offers us some character development on Mr. Reginald LeDoux.  And then, LeDoux is LeDone.  Offed by an irate Marty Hart after finding two children in the shed, one of whom is dead.  Reggie LeDoux and his partner DeWall are two twisted individuals, and Cohle's snatch of Ginger last episode yields a meet-decline-follow meeting with DeWall, who obviously is the business manager for the chemical genius that is LeDoux.  Hart and Cohle follow DeWall back to the meth lab and take down LeDoux and DeWall.  And that story that Hart and Cohle have been feeding the 2012 cops (Papania and Gilbough, they finally have names) about the epic shootout at the 1995 meth lab?  Well, that's all bullshit to cover up for an enraged Hart's murder of LeDoux after seeing what sick stuff LeDoux was up to with the kids.  And DeWall decides to run away and ends up blowing himself up on one of the perimeter booby traps.  So a little cover story later, and Hart and Cohle are celebrated as heroes.

And everything would have been fine.  If only Guy Leonard Francis had decided not to rob a drug store in 2002.  A time shift from 1995 to 2002, and Hart has been promoted and Cohle is the most sought-after interrogator in the state.  So Cohle gets called in to interrogate Francis about a PCP-influenced drug store robbery/murder, and Francis confesses.  Except he mentions at the end that he knows who Cohle is, mentions the Yellow King, and tells Cohle that the 1995 killer is still out there.  Cohle tries to beat more information out of Francis, but is stopped by the cops.

Meanwhile, the older 2002 version of Marty's eldest daughter is caught playing FingerCuffs with a couple of boys in a car.  Hart does not handle the situation well, and he ends up striking his daughter in the face.  There is some dark secret that will unfold concerning his daughter, who has been acting out since her first introduction, but Hart has yet to put the puzzle pieces together.  But he keeps telling the 2012 detectives, "It was right under my nose and I didn't see it."  

Cohle revisits the abandoned school after his visit with Francis, and he finds another of those wicker devil's trap constructions.  And a revisit to the original Dora Lange murder scene yields a circular wicker wreath.  Not sure what the significance of these wicker things are.

Back in 2012, Papania and Gilbrough finally show their hand, and as expected, they suspect Cohle of being the killer.  They even have Hart beginning to doubt his old partner.  But that is too cliche.  We will have to wait to find out the "who" in whodunnit, but I suspect that Cohle is still pursuing this case and using these detectives to gain additional information.

This show is the best thing I have witnessed on television.  I want to rewatch it immediately following an episode, and I find myself thinking about it for hours afterward.  A show that can stimulate that kind of interest is rare.  Looking forward to our upcoming last three hours with Hart and Cohle.

Random Thoughts:

- Hart and Maggie are back together, but the 2012 interviews suggest not for long.

- Speaking of 2002, its about time we found out why Hart and Cohle went splitsville.

- Lawnmower Man at the abandoned school is due to show up again soon.

- Something bad is going to happen to Hart's oldest daughter.

- My money is on Maggie's father as a ringleader in the Satanic cult.  It would explain the doll-gangbang scenario we saw earlier in the season with Hart's daughter (plus the pee pee drawings).

What did you think?

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True Detective - "Who Goes There" Review

by Lee Padrick, February 10, 2014
True Detective S1E4

WARNING:  This review contains spoilers.

After teasing the audience with a tighty-whitey-clad freak in a gas mask and holding a machete, True Detective comes back after a two-week break.  And does not pick up back where you would expect.  Before we confront the underwear-attired nutjob, we must find out how we found the underwear-attired nutjob.  And that is what "Who Goes There" brings to the table.  At a faster pace that we have seen thus far.  

This episode offers us a quick look at how Hart met his mistress, who turns out to be a court reporter assigned to cases where Hart occasionally is called to testify.  After his previous drunken escapades, Hart is trying to ratchet down their relationship, but his spurned mistress does not fade away.  Instead, she (off-camera) tells Hart's wife Maggie about the affair.  Maggie in turn packs up the kids and goes to stay with her parents.  After reading a "I'm outta here" note from Maggie, Hart tries vainly to convince his wife to come home.  He tries over the phone, and when that avenue does not work, he decides that a drunken visit to her workplace is a good idea.  Luckily, Cohle is called to come get Hart before he gets arrested.  So Hart and Cohle are now crashing over at Cohle's unfurnished apartment.  The same apartment that Hart chided Cohle about previously.  

In the meantime, the two detectives have a lead on an associate of Reggie LeDoux, and Hart gets information that LeDoux is exclusively cooking meth for a biker gang called Iron Crusaders.  Cohle happens to have a contact from his old undercover days, so he and Hart formulate an off-the-books takedown operation of Cohle's contact, in hopes of locating LeDoux.

Cohle has to descend back into the underworld, taking drugs, drinking, and generally breaking laws in order to establish bonafides with his old contact and mark, Ginger.  Ginger insists that Cohle help him with a drug heist, and Cohle finds himself in a housing project where the only certainty is that the heist will not success, thanks to the lack of planning by Ginger and his associates.  A 6 minute tracking shot of Cohle making an escape with Ginger as everything around him crumbles ensues, and offers the viewer likely the best scene that anyone will see on television this year.

In just four episodes, True Detective has delivered the most compelling show currently on television, and may well end up as one of the most exciting seasons of any show in recent history.  This is not a television show, but more of an eight-hour film.  And its good.  Very, very good.


Random Thoughts:

- Cohle, after four episodes, has become more likable, and Hart has become more unlikable.  A significant role reversal for these two characters.

- Checking his pulse before the shit hits the fan, Cohle's actions offer great foreshadowing for what's coming.

- As Hart's world collapses, he seems more willing to bend rules and break laws.  Interesting to see where this will lead in the second half of the season.

What did you think?

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Walking Dead - "After" Review

by Lee Padrick, February 10, 2014
Walking Dead S4E9

WARNING:  This review contains spoilers.

The Walking Dead is back after a mid-season hiatus, and the survivors have all been uprooted from the prison.  Much like last season's "Clear," this episode is focused on three people:  Rick, Carl, and Michonne.

Rick and Carl are on the move after the prison battle.  And Carl is experiencing typical teenager angst.  Except the Zombie Apocalypse is a bad time to have your pubescent meltdown.  Because while you are confused, hating your parents, and having a hormone imbalance, dead things are trying to eat your face off.

Rick is seriously injured from his fight with the Governor.  He needs a place to rest and recuperate, so he and Carl hole up in a nice suburban home that has some Cornflakes in the cupboard.  Rick is also trying to get Carl to make smart decisions, like conserving ammunition and not being a stoic douchebag.  And trying to wean his son from his psychopathic ways.  But its the Zombie Apocalypse, so psychopathy is kinda the "in" thing right now.  

Carl is angry at his father's failings as a leader, and blames Rick for the deaths of his baby sister and others that Carl had grown to like.  While Rick rests, Carl goes out exploring the suburban neighborhood.  He almost gets turned into #zombiechow, but he dispatches of the threats with some well-placed gunshots.  But this is the South, so there's likely little chance that Carl can't find more .38 ammunition.  While exploring, Carl comes upon a stack of video games, a big television, and an XBox.  But the only thing of value to Carl, in this world, is the HDMI cord, which can be used as rope.  So Carl decides to play his own video game, and puts himself into harrowing situations where he must defend himself against the undead.  After losing a shoe in a narrow scrape, he returns homewhere his resting father is.  Only Rick is not waking up, and Carl begins to think that Rick has died.  But he can't shoot his father in the head, and waits for the inevitable munching to come his way once his father turns.  Thankfully, Rick wakes up and mutters "Coorrlll!!"  So Carl understands that he is not quite a man yet, and he needs his old, boring, and lame father.  

Meanwhile, Michonne is also displaced and leashing armless, jawless zombies as camouflage, a throwback to our earliest introduction to Michonne.  She dreams/hallucinates about her life prior to the world going to hell, and the viewer gathers that the two #zombs she used to protect herself during her introduction were her boyfriend and her brother.  We also get a glimpse at the baby son she had, and get the idea that her boyfriend possibly killed the baby in a murder-suicide.  Hey, some folks have a hard time coping with the end of the modern world.

But Michonne perseveres, takes out some aggression on a rather passive zombie horde, and follows muddy footprints and empty pudding cans to the home where Rick and Carl are holed up.  So at least there's something good happening in a world gone to hell.

This episode was on the slow-paced side, but it serves as a good, calm break in the story as the survivors try to finding their footing again (pun intended) after the prison ouster.  Hopefully, a few upcoming new characters can add a spark to the show. 


Random Thoughts:

- Why doesn't anyone shut the door whenever they enter a building?  Zombies seem to have a hard time opening doors.

- Carl trying to knock the door open, and instead knocking himself down was the highlight of the show.

- OK, here's a Public Service Announcement:  During the Zombie Apocalypse, never, ever walk backwards.

- Why is Rick Grimes the dirtiest person in the entire world?  Why can't he clean himself up?

- Watching this show immediately after watching HBO's True Detective is not even remotely fair.  

What did you think?

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Justified - "Shot All To Hell" Review

by Lee Padrick, February 6, 2014
Justified S5E5

WARNING:  This review contains spoilers.

Holy cowboy hats!  That was an excellent episode of Justified!

After a couple of slower-paced episodes, Justified roars into the Season Five plotline with blood, violence, and supreme badassery.  This is Art Mullen's time to shine, and our favorite Chief Marshal notches a few accomplishments on his gunbelt as he prepares for his impending retirement.

Raylan is busy running around and trying to cover his own ass.  First, he jogs down to the Social Services office, just in time to see Wendy Crowe picking up the younger Crowe and chiding Raylan for his harassment of her family.  And his new girlfriend piles on as well.  But scolding is the least of Raylan's worries; there is a certain Mr. Picker who is talking with Art about the night that Nicky Augustine was killed.  Raylan somehow gets a few minutes alone with Picker and threatens the career criminal.  Which is not an easy feat, considering that the only reason Picker is talking to the Feds is so he can get some protection from Theo Tonin's hitman, Marcos.  

Speaking of Marcos, an encounter with Art leads to the best scene of the episode.  Marcos, after executing one of the Canadian drug runners, goes to Kentucky to hunt down Picker, who is having breakfast with Wynn Duffy and Mike.  Only Art is there, too, and confronts Marcos.  Marcos wisely decides that Art will likely shoot him if he continues his mission against Picker, and backs down.  Only to reappear later at a warehouse when Art and Raylan go looking for Marcos and Tonin.  Marcos takes a few shots at the Marshals with an automatic shotgun (yep, even Art is impressed with this weapon!) before succumbing to a Raylan bullet.  But a search of the warehouse yields a sickly Theo Tonin, and Art arrests one of the nation's most notorious fugitives.  So Art is having a good day.

Meanwhile, Boyd is out killing people, making deals, and righting his own ship as he tries to spring Ava from jail.  And his plan is working, as he eliminates Paxton, Mrs. Paxton, Mooney, and even makes a deal with Hot Rod Dunham to get access to Johnny AND a supply of heroin.  A good day at the Crowder household.  Except that short prison guard has not gotten over his humiliation, and decides to fake an attack on himself and blame Ava.  So Ava is not coming home any time soon.  

Cousin Johnny is showing off his own smarts, too.  While Hot Rod was out negotiating with Boyd, Johnny has been busy paying off the Harris brothers, who decide to turn on Hot Rod and back Johnny.  So Hot Rod may not be long for this world.

And over at the Crowe's, Dewey is exploring existentialism with a couple of his employees, while Darryl Jr. is out threatening Boyd.  As expected, neither Crowe is successful in his endeavors.  And we get to know more about the psychopathic Danny Crowe, who shoots Jean-Baptiste after a slight regarding Danny's work ethic.  

Finally, Vasquez informs Art and Raylan that Picker fingered missing (and deceased) FBI Agent Barkely for the Nicky Augustine killing.  But Raylan suddenly develops a conscience and confesses (well, sort of) to involvement in the Augustine killing.

Whew!  An action-packed episode of Justified, and likely one of the best of the entire series.  I can't wait to see how Art processes this new information regarding Raylan.

Random Thoughts:

- A brief Tim/Rachael sighting at the end of the episode.

- I can't decide where we are going with the Big Bad this season.  Is it Darryl, Jr.?  Danny?  Or Cousin Johnny?

- I have concerns whenever a supporting cast member gets an episode to shine.  That usually means that character is short for this world.  Please, writers, don't be predictable!

What did you think?

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Justified - "Over The Mountain" Review

by Lee Padrick, January 31, 2013
Justified S1E4

WARNING:  This review contains spoilers.

A Public Service Announcement to all Webelos:  Maintain and/or replace your shovels.

After last week's rather flat show, this episode offers up what Justified does best.  Non-stop, well-written action.  And a poor sap that somehow perseveres.  You have seen this episode before.  But its fun, nonetheless.

Dewey is persuaded by his Florida kin to "make his bones" and deal with Messer's betrayal.  So a few gunshots and a fight scene later, Dewey is tracking an injured Wade Messer through the Kentucky woods.  While dazed and confused.  Well, more dazed and confused that Dewey already is.  After Messer finally bleeds out undiscovered, Dewey has completed his task.  He is now facing a decision on whether to work for Cousin Darryl or to demote him.

Boyd is still busy dealing with the responsibilities of a local crime lord.  He is playing both sides of the law, offering information to Raylan in return for unfettered continuation of his nefarious enterprises.  Boyd gets a face-to-face with Cousin Johnny, who is now partnered with Hot Rod Dunham.  And Boyd is collecting bodies for Mara's mysterious plan.

Raylan is continuing his relationship with Allison, and their time together has an effect on the Deputy Marshal.  Raylan uses the young boy working behind the bar as a way to stir up Darryl and his brother by playing the role of social worker, as he removes the youngster from the Audry's environment.

Art is travelling to Detroit to meet with some colleagues about the death of Sammy Tonin, and the tip from one of the Canadian drug dealers about a "Kentucky Lawman's" involvement in the murder of Nicky Augustine.  Art's success with his investigation will play a major role as the season progresses.  In Art's defense, he is vetting the man that will likely replace him when he retires, so it is understandable for him to show curiosity.  

This penultimate season of Justified is moving toward some major changes in the show's world.  And episodes like "Over The Mountain" offer what is great about the way Justified is written.  In lesser hands, "Over The Mountain" would not likely work.  But this great team of writers and actors take the familiar and turns it into something that comes across as excellent.      


Random Thoughts:

- Tim was in this episode!  And running from a dog!

- Raylan appears headed for dark, troubled waters.

- Another Vasquez sighting.  Not good for our protagonist.

- The return of Hot Rod Dunham.  Can Steve and Wood Harris be far behind?

What did you think?

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Justified - "Good Intentions" Review

by Lee Padrick, January 31, 2014
Justified S1E3

WARNING:  This review contains spoilers.

"Good Intentions" is an appropriate name.

This episode offers a neat, tidy hour of television.  It did not slow this season's story, but it felt a little flat.  Granted, a "flat" hour of Justified is often much better than most serialized series, but this transition episode was reminiscent of several episodes in early Season Four.  Although last season came together in the second half, so the writers get the benefit of the doubt. 

Raylan is again pushing limits of authority.  While he is living in Monroe's confiscated mansion, he is sexing up Allison and being accosted by angry big guys.  Raylan turns the angry big guy on Wynn Duffy, and the threat is eliminated.  This tendency to get adversaries embroiled in violent confrontations is likely not conduct becoming of a U.S. Marshal.  Especially when Art is looking into the Sammy Tonin thing, with Vasquez hanging around the office.  Raylan's self-destructive choices continue to lead to a darker future.  And considering his troubled past, this can't fare well for the trigger-happy protagonist.  

Boyd, on the other hand, is trying to balance the mechanics of distribution with his attempt to ascend to the top of the Harlan County underworld.  And he is doing a poor job of it.  His fiancee is in jail, and he is sexing up Mara, the mail order wife of his rival, Paxton.  And there is the not-very-interesting character of Sheriff-wannabe Mooney.  The cliffhanger of Cousin Johnny on the phone promises to quicken the pace of Boyd's story.

Meanwhile, Dewey is trying to hold together his business, AND maintain curb appeal.  His Florida cousins have smelled fear and money, and have settled into Audry's.  Dewey is the ultimate mark, so his bumbling of dealing with this week's revelation that Wade Messer is skimming money for Boyd does not bode well for his longevity.

This episode offered a good, tight stand-alone story, but did not offer much in terms of the season arc.  Like a beautiful Chamber of Commerce day on Tuesday.  Nice, but not a lot going on.  


Random Thoughts:

- Was hoping that the Raylan-Rachael roommate pairing would be sustainable.

- No Tim?

- Vasquez hanging around suggests that he may have a larger role to play this season.  Like investigating a certain Deputy Marshal.

What did you think?

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True Detective - "The Locked Room" Review

by Lee Padrick, January 27, 2014
True Detective S1E3

WARNING:  This review contains spoilers.

As True Detective moves along this season, we see that Hart is not bound as tightly as he appears.

Over the past few episodes, Hart and Cohle have offered us a buddy film: a cerebral loner and a gregarious straight man.  But behind the facades of the two protagonists lies something much different than outward appearances.  Cohle, who has come across as a tortured soul, seems to be perfectly content with his place in the world.  Hart, on the other hand, is struggling with responsibility and middle age as he desperately tries to appear as the typical family man.

Last episode's church mural leads Hart and Cohle to a tent revival that is led by a fire-and-brimstone folk preacher, played by Shea Whigham.  Whigham's portrayal yields an Elvis impersonator that lords over his "flock," a collection of down-and-out country misfits.  Hart and Cohle attend a tent service, where they pit nihilism versus a Southern Baptist view of the world.  An amusing and entertaining debate ensues, and we learn more about Cohle's worldview.  

Later, Hart comes home and finds that Cohle is there talking with his wife, after returning a borrowed lawn mower and taking care of the Hart family's lawn.  A not-very-subtle argument takes place, with an angry Hart chastising Cohle for "mowing another man's lawn."  Mrs. Hart still seems to have her eye on Cohle, even going through the trouble of arranging a date for the loner with one of her friends.  The date goes OK for Cohle, but Hart loses it when he sees his mistress on a date with another guy, and drunkenly confronts and attacks her potential suitor later that evening.

The 2012 interviews are a welcome break in the dark world of 1995, as the older Hart and Cohle individually interview with the detectives.  Cohle appears to still be the prime suspect in the modern-day crimes, but you can't help but wonder if he is actually a suspect or a means to get into the killer's mind.  The cliffhanger this week is a shot of prime suspect Reginald LeDoux, who Hart and Cohle see walking around his property in a pair of tighty whiteys, a gas mask, and carrying a machete.  How's that for a parting shot?

No episode next week, as HBO breaks for the Super Bowl, but True Detective will be back on February 9th.

Random Thoughts:

- When a drunken Hart visits his mistress' house, he carelessly runs over a girl's pink bicycle.  Is this related to the death of Cohle's daughter?  Was Cohle the drunk driver of the vehicle that killed his daughter?

- Mrs. Hart's booty call in the middle of the night was odd.  Or was she really checking up on the whereabouts of the philandering Mr. Hart?

- Cohle's speechifying on his nihilism is fun to watch.  But it borders on teenage emo diatribes.  Its fun to watch McConaughey toe that line while spouting the viewpoint of the average troubled teenager.  So far, he is pulling it off.

- "I think its safe to say that no one here is gonna be splitting the atom, Marty"  - Cohle.  I almost choked on my tongue.

- "Its been that way since one monkey looked at the sun, then looked at the other monkey and said, "He said give me your f-ing share!"  This dialogue is as good as anything on television.  

What did you think?

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True Detective - "Seeing Things" Review

by Lee Padrick, January 23, 2014
True Detective S1E2

WARNING:  This review contains spoilers.

HBO has a real winner in its stable.

The dark, chilly buddy-cop show should not work.  This genre has an exhaustive legacy, so another cop thriller about a brilliant, troubled introvert and his rambunctious local-boy-made-cop would be expected to yield a watchable "been there, done that" product.

But True Detective delivers.  And much better than you would expect.  Powered by the performance of Matthew McConaughey.  McConaughey is a hot ticket right now, coming off accolades for Dallas Buyers Club.  And he continues his renaissance here.

Detective Rust Cohle is an intense man.  Thanks to the flashbacks/flashforwards, you get that he is a divorced man who lost his young daughter in a traffic incident in front of his home.  This event likely led to his divorce.  You don't yet know whether he may carry more responsibility for his loss.  After his daughter's death, he became an undercover narcotics officer, and he obviously took a few drugs.  Maybe took many drugs, since he is suffering from the effects years later.  

Cohle is also not happy that the politically-charged investigation of the murder of Dora Kelly Lange.  Because of the right Reverend Billy Lee Tuttle, Cohle and Hart must navigate an anti-Christian-crimes task force.  And Cohle expresses himself above his pay grade, leading to conflict with the task force members and his boss, Major Quesada (Kevin Dunn).  But he extracts information during the investigation well, using pressure point moves and hitting people with toolboxes to gain the intel he seeks.  His methods lead to Lange's diary.

Hart is occupied with his extramaritial activities, his job, and his home life, leading to conflict along the way.  He, as suspected, is sleeping with a young court clerk.  And he is having difficulty with his in-laws.  And his wife.  Cohle instigates a confrontation between he and Hart, by chiding Hart on his appearance after spending the evening away from home.  Which leads to a physical altercation where it is strongly implied that Cohle would not suffer the short end of the stick.  

Hart and Cohle follow clues in Lange's diary to an old, burned-out church.  Where they find a mural on the wall of a woman with deer antlers.  Stay tuned.

As I mentioned earlier, this show should not work.  But through the first two episodes, it does.  Carried by the considerable acting talent of McConaughey and Harrelson.  Both actors are demonstrating how compelling television can be, in the capable hands of two A-listers.  But the writing and pace are top shelf as well, and its just fun to sit back and watch these two great actors delivering a fresh perspective on a tired trope.  This is "great show" stuff.

Looking forward to where this show will lead this season, especially considering it should progress as a mini-series.

Random Thoughts:

- No Clarke Peters this episode.

- I like Kevin Dunn as the hard-ass boss.

- The flashback/flashforward is really working for me.  And in a better way than Orange is the New Black.

What did you think?

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Justified - "The Kids Aren't All Right" Review

by Lee Padrick, January 15, 2014
Justified S5E2

WARNING:  This review contains spoilers.

Manuela cooks a mean iguana, its very tender.

Raylan has to spend this episode bailing Loretta out of a jam, because she has gotten caught up in a drug deal with Hot Rod Dunham (remember him from Season 2?), and things have gone south.  And Boyd is trying to evade imprisionment as he works on springing Ava from her incarceration.  

This episode of Justified hits just about all the marks that we have come to expect of a good episode of this show.  Great writing, pacing, and dialogue.  And fun characters.  I firmly believe 10 years from now this show will be in writing textbooks as an example of how to do things right on television.  This episode was just so much fun to watch.

Loretta, as mentioned earlier, has gotten sideways with Hot Rod Dunham, and she and her boyfriend are on the run from Hot Rod's enforcers, played by Steve and Wood Harris (real-life brothers playing TV brothers).  Yep, Eugene Young and Avon Barksdale are on this episode of Justified.

Raylan comes to the rescue and settles Loretta's debt to Hot Rod, without firing a shot.  Or at least a shot from a firearm.  He does get to whack Steve Harris in the head with a shovel and fire off an awesome threat to Hot Rod.  

Raylan:  "I'll kill four of you before you even clear your weapons, and I'll take my chances with the other two.  And you see this star?  That's gonna make it legal.  Now, do we have an understanding here?"

That is classic Raylan and this kind of dialogue is what makes this show so great.  Because you know he means it, and can do it.  Luckily, Hot Rod (who, if I remember correctly, has never been on the wrong end of Raylan) understands Raylan's threat and makes a good decision to forgive Loretta's debt.  Then, as Raylan is taking Loretta home, he realizes that Loretta has gamed him and everyone she has come in contact with.  He shakes his head and grins like a proud adoptive father.  Oh, and Raylan develops an attraction to Loretta's social worker, the lovely Amy Smart.  

Meanwhile, Boyd is being extorted by Mara, the mail-order bride of Paxton, who Boyd beat severely last week.  She wants $300,000 to disappear, or she can implicate Boyd in Paxton's beating.  And Officer Asshole (is he the Sheriff now, since Shelby stepped down last season?) is hot on Boyd's trail, trying to get Mara to identify Boyd as the man responsible for Paxton's beating.  Boyd is also trying to get Ava out of jail, but I noticed a spark between him and Mara.  We'll see where that goes this season.

And the Florida Crowe's are now in Harlan County to visit Dewey.  And to serve as this season's Big Bad.

Lastly, Art is looking into the murder of Nicky Augustine.  Seems the death of Sammy Tonin has piqued Art's interest, so Raylan will likely have to answer for his orchestration of Augustine's demise last season.

The chess pieces are moving into place, and with the announcement this week that next season will be Justified's last, the writers have an endgame in sight.  This season will play a major role as the bridge into the final season, so it will be interesting to see where all of our favorite characters are at this season's end.  

Random Thoughts:

- Nice throwback to Arlo and Hot Rod's history.

- Is this love interest/social worker on the up-and-up?  I dunno, I sense something hinky going on with her.

- Will Art cover for Raylan when he finds out the truth about the death of Nicky Augustine?

- Paxton's out of his coma.  More trouble ahead for Boyd?

What did you think?

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The Blacklist - "The Good Samaritan Killer" Review

by Lee Padrick, Janaury 15, 2014
The Blacklist S1E11

WARNING:  This review contains spoilers.

After a holiday break, The Blacklist is back for .... well, not much.

After a satisfying two-parter with "Anslo Garrick," I settled in for epic The Blacklist.  The first red flag was the episode title.  "The Good Samaritan Killer" made me roll my eyes, but I had visions of a blacklister that contracted to kill other blacklisters for favors, instead of money.  

The opening scene with the mother and child, and the guy giving her the drugged coffee?  "She must be a secret agent person or something," I said to myself.  Nope, she is the victim of a case-of-the-week serial killer, and Liz must find the killer and bring him to justice because .... (in my best movie trailer voice) "This time, its personal!"  Give me a freakin' break.  The serial killer is a Dexter-ish ER nurse who deals with domestic violence victims and tortures and kills their abusers.     

Meanwhile, our Man-of-the-Hour-With-Style-and-Power is running around killing all the folks that were involved with his capture by Anslo Garrick.  He is even cheesily killing folks to Johnny Cash's "When The Man Comes Around."  Can you tell this episode isn't working for me?

After he exacts revenge on all the Garrick mercenaries, and after Liz tracks down the Good Samaritan (named because he leaves his victims barely alive and calls 911 to save them?  Really, who dreams up this stuff?) and shoots him before he can creepily torment his immobile elderly mother some more, we get a reconciliation of Red and Liz.  Seems they have made up and will get back to catching blacklisters next week.

If that was the case, why did I have to sit through this week's episode?  This was not my favorite The Blacklist episode.  Seems this show is in a perpetual state of taking a step forward-a couple of steps backward.  

Finally, we now know who the mole is.  The show threw us a twist, making us think it was Aram.  I was floored, but Aram as the mole was very believable.  Then, the show pulled that rug out from under us and identified Grey as the mole.  Grey?!?  So Red kills Skinny Pete, and the whole mole (sorry, I giggled when I typed that) thing is settled.  Except that the mysterious Grey is now dead.  And I was hoping for a Grey-flashback episode later in the season.  Well, there's still Dembe.  

I have mentioned it before, but the premise of this show could be much more fulfilling if it was a 12-episode season, versus a 22-episode season.  With a shorter season, we could skip some of these filler episodes where nothing happens and advance the season's arc at a more coherent pace.

I look forward to getting this train back on the tracks next week.  

Random Thoughts:

- Tom wants to interview for a teaching gig in Nebraska.  Good riddance!  But if he won't go to work at his job in D.C., he probably won't work in Nebraska, either.

- Ressler is back at work and walking with a limp.  C'mon, he would have lost that mangled leg in real life!

- Still don't trust Meera, the CIA chick.

- The scene where Liz threatens the wife beater in the hospital was so superfluous.  I think I actually screamed at the television.

What did you think?

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True Detective - "The Long Bright Dark" Review

by Lee Padrick, January 14, 2014
True Detective, S1E1

WARNING:  This review contains spoilers.

We are all living in pessimistic realism.

HBO's new drama series, True Detective, is a show pairing two cops as they track a serial killer.  This genre has been done to death, right?  Well, maybe not.  If Criminal Minds had one too many drinks at the bar and found itself in bed with The Wire, the offspring may look much like True Detective.

This new anthology offers us two A-listers as the leads, as Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey star as Det. Martin Hart and Det. Rust Cohle, respectively.  Hart and Cohle.  Get it?  Say it again, then.  And this is where familiar ground ends.

Hart is your archetypal southern family man, a go-along get-along cop.  Cohle is the aloof loner, who just happens to be a brilliant detective.  Hart has a pretty wife, two kids, and lives the American Dream in a three-bedroom house.  Cohle lives in a spartan one-bedroom apartment with only a mattress on the floor and a cross on the wall.  Except he is not religious; he uses the cross to meditate and ponder his own godless existence.  And he battles an unhealthy relationship with alcohol.  

These two Louisiana CID detectives pull a murder scene, where a young prostitute has been murdered and left posed in some kind of serial killer fantasy crime scene.  With deer antlers.  You have seen this stuff before.  Literally.

But what you have not seen, at least in enough depth, is the effect that investigating crimes such as this has on the detectives.  Hart has to drink himself to sleep; Cohle has to buys some Quaaludes off of a criminal informant.  Sleep is a valuable commodity to those folks working the front lines between the psychotics and the rest of us.  And sometimes, some of that psychosis can rub off on those front line grunts.  

The show vacillitates between 2012 and 1995, and the depositions of Hart and Cohle, taken by detectives investigating a murder much like the one that former partners Hart and Cohle investigated and allegedly solved 17 years earlier.  As the season progresses, the story of what shaped these two men into what they are today will evolve.  And further development of McConaughey's Cohle will be fun to watch.

McConaughey and Harrelson bring some world-class acting chops to this show.  You have seen good actors with great scripts working other shows well, but this show (at least the pilot) is bordering on 'masterpiece'.  These two guys, within minutes, have you invested in Cohle and Hart, and you forget all about "Mr. Alright, Alright, Alright" and Billy Hoyle.

HBO appears to have hit another home run with this series, as it ranks up there with contemporary fare such as Rectified and Top of the Lake.  Its one of those shows that is made for binge watching; waiting a week between episodes just seems patently unfair.

Random Thoughts:

- So Hart isn't a faithful family man.  How long before Cohle has Mrs. Hart over to his apartment?

- Love the cinematography!  Rural Louisiana looks both beautiful and depressing.

- McConaughey's weight loss from Dallas Buyers Club is obvious, but his gaunt appearance sells his portrayal of tormented Cohle even better.

- Michelle Monaghan's role as Hart's wife seems pedestrian, compared to the other well-written characters in the show.

- A Clarke Peters sighting as a local preacher!  

What did you think?

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Justified - "A Murder of Crowes" Review

by Lee Padrick, January 8, 2014
Justified - Season 5, Episode 1

WARNING:  This review contains spoilers.

Justified is back for its fifth season, and we're going to Florida!

The Elmore Leonard-inspired serial drama kicks off in fine fashion, as a time jump has occurred and Raylan is now a father.  Trouble is, his ex-wife and baby girl are now living in Florida.  The show throws us into Judge Reardon's (Stephen Root) courtroom where Dewey Crowe (Damon Herrimon) is suing the Marshal's Service for his mistreatment at the hands of Deputy Marshal Raylan Givens.  A humorous exchange between Dewey's attorney and Raylan, as the protagonist is held to account for his past sins.  Judge Reardon grants Dewey a $300,000 settlement, and we have a new owner of Audrey's, bought from one Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins), who is in need of quick cash to try to spring his betrothed from incarceration for the murder of Delroy (a former owner of Audrey's).  Harlan County must have a "six degrees of separation" thing happening at the local cathouse/bar.

Boyd meanwhile is trying to work a drug deal that goes badly when he gets shot in the ear.  So he calls up a women's tennis-watching Wynn Duffy (Jere Burns) and they head to the Motor City for some facetime with the head of the Tonin gang.  Except Sammy Tonin, the heir of the organization after Theo skipped the country, has lost his mind and is holed up in a blighted building with sex dolls and a chainsaw-wielding torturer.  You want an explanation?  All we get is "that was last week."  There are some shades of Season Three's Quarles in that scene.  Some real freaks in the Tonin organization.  Picker (from Season Four) offs Sammy and the Chainsaw Massacre because of a debt owed to some Canadians that are organized more than the government allows, and we have a great scene where Boyd and Duffy lose their northern suppliers of illicit substances.

Boyd is desperate to get Ava out of jail, so he visits Paxton (from last season's Harlan Swingers Club) and even begs for help.  Until Paxton makes the fatal mistake of insulting Ava, then Boyd pistol-whips the man to death (or something close to it).  And Boyd lets the witness to this savage beating, the mail-order bride of Paxton, walk away.  Don't know where Boyd's story is going this season, but I expect it will be darker than what we've seen previously.  Maybe I need to go back and watch previous seasons, but Boyd's storyline had some holes in it.  I'll just chalk those up to "that was last week."

Meanwhile, Raylan has been assigned temporarily to Florida to track down some of Dewey's family members in regard to a missing Coast Guard guy.  Raylan works with his old boss (Matt Craven) and a local deputy marshal (David Koechner) to track down Darryl Crowe (Michael Rapaport), who hangs out with his dimwitted brother and his tramp-stamped sister Wendy (Alicia Witt).  The episode devolves into a case-of-the-week, as Raylan and his marshal friend track a Cuban sugar smuggler named Elvis, who gets shot by Raylan.  Imagine that?  Raylan shooting someone.

These estranged Crowes will be coming to Harlan to pay Dewey a visit this season.  Which means they will get sideways with Deputy Marshal Givens.  

There was some hinkiness in this episode, but I'm confident most of the wrinkles will be ironed out as the season progresses.  Justified consistently delivers some of the best writing and dialogue found on television today.  I look forward to where this great show will go from here.

Random Thoughts:

- No Rachael, Art, or Tim this week.

- What's up with Cousin Johnny?  Looking forward to seeing what he's doing now.

- Raylan is quite the technophile, as he watches Netflix and Skypes!

What did you think?

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