First of all, congrats to Chuck - this excellent show has been picked up for when the writer's strike is over, for a full season. This show is like watching a wonderful movie (Office Space meets Alias?) for an hour every week. I love it!
So, this episode lacked the power, wit and grace of the previous one, had way too many plotlines, and just fell flat. Let's hope the next episode, which, if the writers don't get working soon, is going to be the season finale, isn't the big disappointment that last year's season finale was. I was pretty much looking forward to Hiro kicking Peter's butt in this episode, but, sadly, they're saving that for next week. Have you ever heard of an "idiot" plot? This means everyone has to be an idiot for the plotline to work. So, this week, Maya, Peter, Mohinder...Micah's cousin...wow, how incredibly easily manipulated are these characters? I hate losing respects for my imaginary friends.
On the plus side, it was nice to see Claire standing up for herself with Elle.
On a somewhat related note, if you love superheroes and poetry, or someone you love does,
This book makes a great holiday gift!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
Cautionary Tales - Daddy Issues and Why Can't Every Episode of Heroes Be This Good?
Okay, where did they dig up the writers for this episode? Have these writers been asleep for the first seven or eight episodes? How is it that suddenly, Heroes becomes funny, snappy, heart-rending, and action-packed after a snoozer of a half-season? I was literally jumping up and down off my couch and pacing the whole episode? What happens next? Argh! No, Writer's Strike! Don't take away this new and improved Heroes!
So many witty lines ("What is your power - human punching bag?" "Do you still have Mr. Muggles Doggy Bath?" Dark!) And how great was Mrs. HRG tonight? Finally he faced his fears about his own death, and became his kick-ass old, sort-of-evil-sort-of-good self? And how weird is it that the writers complicated the boring characters of Mohinder and Matt Parkman? Good times.
Also, the whole Hiro investigating his father's murder, and paying his last respects in back time, was pretty great. "We have the powers of gods, but that does mean we should play God." Superheroes, man, all those moral and ethical delimnas.
So many witty lines ("What is your power - human punching bag?" "Do you still have Mr. Muggles Doggy Bath?" Dark!) And how great was Mrs. HRG tonight? Finally he faced his fears about his own death, and became his kick-ass old, sort-of-evil-sort-of-good self? And how weird is it that the writers complicated the boring characters of Mohinder and Matt Parkman? Good times.
Also, the whole Hiro investigating his father's murder, and paying his last respects in back time, was pretty great. "We have the powers of gods, but that does mean we should play God." Superheroes, man, all those moral and ethical delimnas.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Four Months Ago...and Chuck, Meet Summer!
It's a sad story because you just know Chuck is going to get cancelled because of the strike. But when Chuck (ie Seth Cohen, the older-and-more-spy-like) met Summer in last night's episode (Chuck Versus the Truth) I just wished the show would go on forever. So much fun!
On Heroes, we finally got to solve some of the mysteries (How Peter wound up with amnesia, how Nathan was healed, how DL died) but others were left unsolved - like, how did the Bennett's get back together? This, again, is a show that is just getting back together just before the writer's strike will cause it to go dark.
And I am a writer, so I support fair wages for work performed, but at this point, I think they're doing themselves more harm than good. One of their key sticking points is getting paid for downloads of episodes, and I think that's still such a new revenue stream (ie not that successful a revenue stream) for companies that the big media networks aren't going to budge on it. I've always worked for a set-fee for my media contributions, and never got a per-download bonus or anything. That would be nice, though. How about it, MSDN?
On Heroes, we finally got to solve some of the mysteries (How Peter wound up with amnesia, how Nathan was healed, how DL died) but others were left unsolved - like, how did the Bennett's get back together? This, again, is a show that is just getting back together just before the writer's strike will cause it to go dark.
And I am a writer, so I support fair wages for work performed, but at this point, I think they're doing themselves more harm than good. One of their key sticking points is getting paid for downloads of episodes, and I think that's still such a new revenue stream (ie not that successful a revenue stream) for companies that the big media networks aren't going to budge on it. I've always worked for a set-fee for my media contributions, and never got a per-download bonus or anything. That would be nice, though. How about it, MSDN?
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Heroes Moving in the Right Direction, just in time...
Yes, the last two episodes of Heroes have moved towards the action, bringing the characters together, setting up a conflict and challenge for the Heroes to confront (Adam/the Virus.) Why did it take SO LONG to get going? One of my poetry professors told the class, people have short attention spans, your poems must provide constant rewards for the reader or they will stop reading. Applies to television too. Too little reward, and your loyal fans dissapate.
And now that the writers' strike is upon us, will it derail the momentum? Even worse, does this mean the end of "Chuck," "Reaper," et al and a deluge of reality television and game shows?
In other news, the Buffy comic (Season 8 - see Dark Horse Comics for more details) has been really wonderful. I heard that Joss Whedon and the actress that played Faith are going to team up for a weird "Dark Angel" type series where "blank" human superbeings are imprinted with memories and abilities for nefarious missions. Could be good, could be awful. I'm reserving judgement til I hear more.
And now that the writers' strike is upon us, will it derail the momentum? Even worse, does this mean the end of "Chuck," "Reaper," et al and a deluge of reality television and game shows?
In other news, the Buffy comic (Season 8 - see Dark Horse Comics for more details) has been really wonderful. I heard that Joss Whedon and the actress that played Faith are going to team up for a weird "Dark Angel" type series where "blank" human superbeings are imprinted with memories and abilities for nefarious missions. Could be good, could be awful. I'm reserving judgement til I hear more.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Fight or Flight or: on Heroes, Something Finally Happens!
I was pretty happy with episode 5 of Heroes, in which: things actually happened! Matt confronted his father, "Mastermind" (whoops, I mean "Nightmare Man") and lost him - Elle confronted the Irish mobster brother, and killed him. I mean, at least there was a little action...
In other news, Reaper was picked up for a few more episodes, but no word on my other fave new show, "Chuck."
In still other news, the sexism and jerkiness of Hollywood power players never ceases to amaze...a bit about the doom of the Wonder Woman movie from an article about the Justice League movie on IGN.com:
"There may be another -- and nastier -- reason why a Wonder Woman spin-off film might be questionable now. According to DeadlineHollywoodDaily.com, Warner Bros. president of production Jeff Robinov recently decreed, "We are no longer doing movies with women in the lead." This is reportedly in response to the lackluster performance of two recent female-driven Warners releases, The Invasion and The Brave One."
In other news, Reaper was picked up for a few more episodes, but no word on my other fave new show, "Chuck."
In still other news, the sexism and jerkiness of Hollywood power players never ceases to amaze...a bit about the doom of the Wonder Woman movie from an article about the Justice League movie on IGN.com:
"There may be another -- and nastier -- reason why a Wonder Woman spin-off film might be questionable now. According to DeadlineHollywoodDaily.com, Warner Bros. president of production Jeff Robinov recently decreed, "We are no longer doing movies with women in the lead." This is reportedly in response to the lackluster performance of two recent female-driven Warners releases, The Invasion and The Brave One."
Friday, October 19, 2007
Heroes Proving a bit...yawn...
Hey guys, sorry I haven't been posting, I was out of town for a few weeks and then had a lot of tv to catch up on.
I'm sorry to say it, but the new season of Heroes has been a whole lot of not exciting for me. I can barely stay awake through a whole episode. With the most interesting characters split up and in different locations and timelines, and a lot of new characters (I call them the Heroes Others) that no one cares about, well, who can blame me?
But, two new shows have been stepping up to entertain - Chuck and the Buffy-esque (laughs, fighting against darkness, kooky friends, bad parents...) Reaper.
I haven't got my hands on the new issues of the Buffy comics either, so I will report on those later as well.
Bionic Woman hasn't been all that great (what it lacks in humor in makes up for in Alias-rip-offs?) Is there anything else I should be watching? Are you like me, getting fed up with the woefully unfocused sophomore year of Heroes?
(PS All you Pushing Daisies fans...yes, I've seen it, was clever and cute, but you know, I can't commit to a show I know for sure is going to be cancelled before the season is up...)
I'm sorry to say it, but the new season of Heroes has been a whole lot of not exciting for me. I can barely stay awake through a whole episode. With the most interesting characters split up and in different locations and timelines, and a lot of new characters (I call them the Heroes Others) that no one cares about, well, who can blame me?
But, two new shows have been stepping up to entertain - Chuck and the Buffy-esque (laughs, fighting against darkness, kooky friends, bad parents...) Reaper.
I haven't got my hands on the new issues of the Buffy comics either, so I will report on those later as well.
Bionic Woman hasn't been all that great (what it lacks in humor in makes up for in Alias-rip-offs?) Is there anything else I should be watching? Are you like me, getting fed up with the woefully unfocused sophomore year of Heroes?
(PS All you Pushing Daisies fans...yes, I've seen it, was clever and cute, but you know, I can't commit to a show I know for sure is going to be cancelled before the season is up...)
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Geeked out Chuck, Four Months Later
Okay, I know I'm supposed to talk about Heroes, but...
How great was it that the new show Chuck (an homage to The Man With One Red Shoe, Johnny Mnemonic, Alias, and other twisty genre shows) name-checked my childhood computer and favorite game in the first five minutes of the show? I mean, I learned to program on a TRS-80 and my favorite game was Zork! My mom and I used to write down maps for each other for the maze. Geeked out!
So what did ya'll think of Four Months Later? I think I was so excited to have Heroes back that the actual event let me down a little. I did like Typhoid Mary (I mean Maya - yet another comic book ripoff, but I liked the actors and the angle) AND Claire's new flying stalker boy. I was disappointed with the way Hiro's dad went down (literally) and that Hiro missed a chance to say goodbye.
How great was it that the new show Chuck (an homage to The Man With One Red Shoe, Johnny Mnemonic, Alias, and other twisty genre shows) name-checked my childhood computer and favorite game in the first five minutes of the show? I mean, I learned to program on a TRS-80 and my favorite game was Zork! My mom and I used to write down maps for each other for the maze. Geeked out!
So what did ya'll think of Four Months Later? I think I was so excited to have Heroes back that the actual event let me down a little. I did like Typhoid Mary (I mean Maya - yet another comic book ripoff, but I liked the actors and the angle) AND Claire's new flying stalker boy. I was disappointed with the way Hiro's dad went down (literally) and that Hiro missed a chance to say goodbye.
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