The Walking Dead's Season 3 finale airs tonight at 9pm. Game of Thrones' Season 3 premiere airs tonight at... 9pm. And after seeing the internet's latest take on the Syrio Forel "not today" meme, we have a feeling we know where most people's priorities lie. But that won't stop us from asking anyway...
Psych S07E05: "100 Clues"
"100 Clues," Psych's tribute to the film Clue, was even better than the real thing.
Be honest: As much as we all might adore the 1985 cult classic, there's a reason it was a critical and box office bomb. Although Psych's 100th episode was just as silly, in many respects, as the film, "100 Clues" (written by diehard Clue fan Todd Harthan), was definitely enjoyable. The dialogue was wittier, the storyline was tighter (by virtue of running for only half of the source material's duration), and Dulé Hill owned his zebra leggings and platinum platform boots. What?
Please don't whack me with a candlestick for my obvious bias as a Psych devotee. I'm curious to hear the opinions of any newcomers who may've tuned in for the first time because of USA's massive promotion for the series' 100th episode and the choose-your-own-ending stunt. Were the bromancers' catchphrases and in-jokes just as hilarious to Psych virgins as they were to those of us who appreciated Shawn's generous servings of Gus-isms? ("Gus, don't be the second time ever I saw your face" and "This is my partner, Domo Arigato" were both stellar.)
The episode began with a flashback to 2007, when Shawn and Gus were just starting to work with the SBPD and Chief Vick. (Or "Chief Dick," as Shawn believed at the time.) Helping out with the department's cold cases, Shawn pointed out some inconsistencies in hair band frontman Billy Lipps' (Steve Valentine) biography, Rock Bottom—even though he and Gus, who jumped at the chance to resurrect their amazing '80s concert gear and guyliner, were diehard fans of the rock star.
No one was more surprised when superfan Henry Spencer joined them backstage with two beers and a sleeveless Billy Lipps 1978 tour T-shirt. Sadly, Detective Lassiter, sporting an atrocious suit and a haircut not even Marlowe could love, arrested Lipps for the murder of his girlfriend/groupie, Melinda.
Cut to the present day, when Shawn received a mysterious, singing messenger invitation to the famed Villa Rosa mansion. (I was ashamed to realize it shared a name with Real Housewives star Lisa Vanderpump's Beverly Hills crib.)
When Juliet was called to a case, Shawn invited Gus to join him at the villa. During a house tour from butler Clizby (pronounced Clithzby), they were frequently interrupted by a woman's scream—the doorbell (as in in Murder by Death, a 1976 country-house whodunit spoof).
Shawn and Gus didn't mind—it gave them more time to gorge themselves on licorice pastels and perform the chocolate dance when they learned about the mansion owner's secret chocolate room. (Unfortunately, the chocolatier collected toupees, which terrify Gus more than hunger pains.)
The guests arrived, "one by one by one by one by one," and eventually it became clear that they all played a role in sending Billy Lipps—their anonymous host—to prison: His biographer and Harvard snob Martin Kahn (Christopher Lloyd, whose character was a nice nod to late actress Madeline Kahn, Clue's Mrs. White), longtime manager Highway Harry (Martin Mull, owning it as the unintelligible, slurring drunk), and stuttering groupie Lesley (Lesley Ann Warren)—a former nurse who inaccurately pronounced Harry dead when he faceplanted on his dinner plate.
(Hysteria ensued when his body disappeared, but Harry had actually awoken and found the chocolate room.)
Inarguably dead—stabbed by an ice pick and chilling in the freezer—was Billy's former bandmate Rip, whose disappearance brought Juliet and Lassiter to the house party.
Lipps himself almost became the next victim, but Shawn managed to save him before a chandelier fell on the newly converted Jew's Union Jack yarmulke. (The cause of death would've been the chocolate dance, as Gus and Shawn strained the chandelier's loosened fixtures during their spastic celebration.)
At last, the final guest arrived: Curt Smith! It turned out that Billy was producing his new album: Curt Smith: Duets With Curt Smith. (The Tears for Fears pop star has played himself once before on the show and performed at Psych's 2010 Comic-Con panel. And Shawn dressed up as his partner, Roland Orzabal, in Season 2's "American Duos," featuring Clue star Tim Curry. Got it?)
Curt Smith was close to death himself; in addition to being shot in the diaphragm, he was also mauled by Billy's pet panther. And just as he was about to identify the ice-pick-wielding gunman, he passed out.
Shawn tried to pin the murder on each guest in turn, including Lesley. But the former groupie shocked everyone, including Clizby, when she revealed that the butler—not anyone in Lipps' entourage—was her baby daddy.
And also the killer. The butler did it! At least, that's the ending fans chose for the East Coast broadcast. Lipps and his band had been stealing the whistler's melodies, and he retaliated by smothering Melinda. When Rip figured it out after "intensive psychotherapy," Clizby killed him, then targeted Billy, too, by sabotaging the chandelier. (The chocolate dance wasn't entirely to blame!) Poor Curt Smith was just collateral damage.
Like the ending of the movie, the ending of "100 Clues" was incidental. The real delight of this Psych milestone was watching the veteran actors hamming it up alongside the appreciated series regulars. It didn't compare to "Dual Spires," James Roday's love letter to Twin Peaks, but the David Lynch classic offered much richer source material and iconic characters. (And really, how can you top Sheryl Lee—fully clothed and not shrouded in plastic this time—reenacting the discovery of Laura Palmer's body?)
– "I stepped in scat, man!" "Scatman Crothers?" "No, panther scat!" "Gus, don't be the second time ever I saw your face." "I know my scat, Shawn."
– "This is my partner, Domo Arigato."
– "Licorice pastels, twelve o'clock!"
– "He didn't call you a gay Snoopy. He said you were their No. 1 groupie."
– "We split the food of the dead fifty-fifty, that's always been the deal."
– "Did he just do a mash-up of Yiddish and Spanish?" "Sure did, it's like a matzo-dilla." "Sounds delicious."
– "He's been lurking here all night long, Lionel Ritchie style."
– "You might want to lower that paint gun, Alice Cooper." (Lassie to Lipps)
– Carlton Lassiter, shut up. (Lassie's reply to "Martin Kahn, Harvard.")
– "I'm not sure if you're familiar with the 1984 Chuck Norris classic Missing in Action, but my partner and I are about to grill each and every one of you like Col. Braddock did the Viet Kong." (Lassie to the suspects, which included Gus and Shawn)
– "Deep down I think he is resentful and bitter that his wife was stolen from him by that beautiful bastard face dancer Derek Hough. His words—though I too would've chosen the word Derek." (Shawn, referring to Lipps' ex's hook-up with the Dancing With the Stars pro.)
– "Is your name Curt Smith?" (Curt Smith, when Shawn interrupted his duet with Curt Smith)
– "He's not dead!" (Everyone, every time someone said Curt Smith had died)
– "It's burning London broil." (Gus, with help from his Super Sniffer)
Did "100 Clues" live up to your expectations? What ending did you see? Which suspect did you vote for?
What to watch on Monday, April 1...
8pm, The CW
The Carrie Diaries
Carre prepares an ideal romantic evening with Sebastian; her plans rapidly fall apart, in accordance with Tripper’s First Law of Comical Misunderstandings. Meanwhile in “A First Time for Everything,” Dorrit turns to Donna for love-life pointers, and Mouse realizes that she’s developing a bit of a thing for West, which, c’mon Mouse, the rest of us got there like two weeks ago.
8pm, Fox
Bones
“The Maiden in the Mushrooms” finds the Jeffersonian squad investigating a TV producer’s murder, while Brennan struggles to process Christine’s antisocial behavior toward a classmate. Back at the lab, Hodgins devotes all the resources at his disposal to reverse-engineering Finn’s hot sauce recipe... for SCIENCE!
9pm, Fox
The Following
In the wake of their latest colossal botch-job leaving Claire in Joe’s clutches, the FBI turns its attention to an undercover location that may be connected to the cult and promptly figures out how it can make a hash of that too. Elsewhere in “Whips and Regret,” Claire settles in at Casa de Crackpot, and Emma and Jacob grapple with the fallout of the former’s betrayal.
9pm, Syfy
Being Human
While unforeseen complications greet Kenny’s awakening, Aidan, Josh, and Sally gear up to tussle with Donna in “Always a Bridesmaid, Never Alive.” According to Syfy’s promo clip, their stratagem involves her blood, hair, and nails, which suggests to me they cribbed this plan straight from Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest.
100th EPISODE, 10pm, ABC
Castle
Boy, what kind of rotten luck does a guy have to have to wind up sidelined for the 100th episode of his own show? A broken-legged Castle is none too pleased to be convalescing in the loft in “The Lives of Others,” but his interest is piqued when a murder mystery unfolds before his very eyes in the apartment across the street. All things considered, Beckett should be careful she doesn’t stumble onto a sprawling flock of creepy, homicidal birds.
10pm, A&E
Bates Motel
A stunning discovery greets Norman and Emma in “What’s Wrong With Norman,” while Dylan’s new job presents him with more than he bargained for. Both of these plotlines are probably referring to dinosaurs, right? Let’s assume it’s dinosaurs. You’d watch a show where Norman Bates befriends/rides around on a triceratops, wouldn’t you? Of course you would.
10pm, Sundance
Top of the Lake
Robin’s future with local law enforcement is endangered by a spot of violence as Episode 4 marks the midpoint of the seven-part miniseries. Refusing to abandon the case, she endeavors to gain the trust of a tight-lipped friend of Tui’s who may hold key information.
10pm, NBC
Revolution
Feeling the weight of a comrade’s sacrifice, Charlie and crew must find a way to soldier on in “Ghosts,” while a search to bolster ranks leads Miles and Nora to a lethal former militia colleague (Malik Yoba, late of Alphas). Rachel’s keeping busy herself, what with searching for a power source and trying to get back in Charlie’s good graces, all while evading Flynn.
LATE-NITE:
– From Atlanta, Seth Rogen, and Earthquake on Conan, 11pm, TBS
– Thandie Newton on Chelsea Lately, 11pm, E!
– Author Mary Roach on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, 11pm, Comedy Central
– Sigourney Weaver on The Colbert Report, 11:30pm, Comedy Central
– Matthew Perry, Kristen Schaal, and Goo Goo Dolls on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 11:35pm, NBC
– Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Altman, and The Band Perry on Late Show with David Letterman, 11:35pm, CBS
– Shaquille O’Neal and Demi Lovato on Jimmy Kimmel Live, 11:35pm, ABC
– Alec Baldwin, Emilia Clarke, Janelle Monae, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and the latest Celebrity Apprentice castoff on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, 12:37am, NBC
– Toby Keith and J.R. Martinez on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, 12:37am, CBS
Shawn and Gus did it, in the billiard room, with the jerk chicken nachos!
Actually, the Psych partners are the only houseguests who AREN'T suspected of murder in tonight's episode, "100 Clues." The highly anticipated homage to the 1985 cult classic film Clue also marks the detective comedy's 100th episode—and I was on set for the corresponding celebration (pineapple cake = yum).
Joining the cast and crew for a toast to Psych were Clue actors Christopher Lloyd, Lesley Ann Warren, and Martin Mull, along with Garrett Morris, Tears for Fears' Curt Smith, and Steve Valentine, all of whom guest-star in the milestone episode.
"It's a beast of an homage—even bigger than we thought it was going to be when we took it on," James Roday said between scenes. "But I've been astounded at how well [it's] going."
"We're nailing Clue, but it still feels like a show. It's pretty special. The sets are ridiculous, and it's so crazy when you get to watch these reunions that happen on our shows. Christopher Lloyd and Leslie Ann Warren haven't seen each other since Clue wrapped in 1985."
Back to the Future's Lloyd was especially surprised to see his old co-stars.
"I barely knew that it was a takeoff on Clue," he admitted, telling Warren and Mull: "When I got here, I'm looking at a call sheet and discovered that you both were cast members. I was blown away—I just couldn't believe it."
"You know, it helps to read the script," cracked Mull.
Although the alums aren't reprising their Clue roles, "some of the energy feels very akin to what it was like on Clue," Warren said. "A lot of the mob scenes, running here, running there, running here, running there… I think they've captured the essence of whatever it was we did."
Clue has taken on its own life, like Rocky Horror Picture Show," she added. "I'll go into a restaurant and some 20-year-old server will come up to me and recite all these lines."
"It was not a hit movie at the time," grumbled funnyman Mull. "No, it has to take 40 years and be a cult [classic]."
Just like the original movie, "100 Clues" has three possible endings featuring three different killers. Psych fans will determine the outcome of the episode, voting for the suspects on USAnetwork.com or Twitter via special hashtags. And since USA is conducting separate votes for the East Coast and West Coast airings, viewers might see a different outcome.
"We never knew, during the course of shooting, who the killer was," Mull revealed about the original film, which was shot in sequence. "We didn't know if we were guilty or not!"
"Working with these actors has been unbelievably great," raved Dulé Hill, who's now reached the 100-episode mark twice (his first TV series, The West Wing, filmed 154 episodes). "It's just been a good time. You couldn't ask for a better way to reach 100 episodes."
Even creator Steve Franks was giddy about the special guests. Producer Kelly Kulchak dished, "The greatest thing about Steve is he walks onto his own set, and he's a fan! [He said], 'Oh my God. I can't believe we're going to get to meet Christopher Lloyd.'"
Maggie Lawson was similarly impressed.
"It's special to get such a dope cast," she said. "It's wild though… we all herd around in a pack."
"Everybody's in every scene," agreed Tim Omundson, who also loves the "meta" aspect of the opening flashback. "We're riffing on our own show."
Curt Smith, who returns as musician Curt Smith in the episode, told me with a laugh, "It's a big stretch for me." And, spoiler alert: He's not one of the murder victims. "Otherwise they wouldn't be able to bring me back [after this]. Officially now I'm a recurring character."
Of the overall experience, "It was an honor," the 1980s MTV staple said, quipping: "An honor to come all the way up here to be shot and mauled by a panther." (That's him sprawled—but not dead—on the couch below. And no, he's not dead.)
"We loved the idea of doing a drawing room mystery with three separate endings, [but] it was a massive undertaking," Franks said. "Thank God we didn't do it last year, because I don't think we would have had the running start that we would have needed just to make all of the things happen."
As for Psych's long run, Hill marveled: "I'm in awe of the whole journey. I thought that you couldn't really top the West Wing experience, [but] this has been just as fulfilling, in a whole different way…I didn't really realize that the show would have this kind of life, and have this kind of a fan base. It's thrilling."
The show will even feature special opening credits for the occasion that honor the original board game:
"100 Clues" airs tonight at 10pm on USA. To choose your ending, visit Psych's official website or vote on Twitter using hashtags for each culprit (#PsychButlerDDit, #PsychGroupieDDit, #PsychManagerDDit, #PsychAuthorDDit and #PsychHostDDit).
What to watch on Wednesday, March 27...
SEASON 2 FINALE, 8pm & 8:30pm, NBC
Whitney
The season’s final hour kicks off with “Alex, Meet Lily,” in which Whitney drafts her beau into forging a bond with her bud, who’s in the market for a comrade of the male persuasion. “Cake, Cake, Cake,” winds up Season 2 with Whitney growing concerned when she spies her psychiatrist (Chelsea Handler) going to town on a birthday cake solo. I take the good doctor’s side on this one; extremism in consumption of cake is no vice.
8pm, The CW
Arrow
A denizen of The Glades is out for the blood of anyone he considers an enemy of the neighborhood, and Roy is next on his hit list in “Salvation.” And speaking of future-and/or-present masked archers marked for death, Malcolm tasks Moira with tracking down his own would-be assassin.
SEASON 1 FINALE, 8:30pm, ABC
The Neighbors
The Zabvronians may be recalled to their home planet when Dick receives a fateful call from his grandfather as sci-fi icons George Takei and Mark Hamill help “It Has Begun...” wrap up The Neighbors' freshman season. Before they pack their space-bags, though, the Bird-Kersees join the Weavers in Atlantic City, where Larry displays a knack for blackjack and Jackie yearns for Earth-style nuptials.
9pm, The CW
Supernatural
When the Winchesters look into a string of bumped-off vampires in “Freaks and Geeks,” they turn up a shadowy man who’s grooming the orphans of vamp victims into a slayer army. Dean suspects the man’s motives aren’t on the up-and-up. Sam mostly admires the kids’ merit badges, especially the bitchin’ one for Holy Water Scalding.
9pm, NBC
Law & Order: SVU
After accusing her cameraman of rape, a sports reporter learns she’s with child as a result. At trial, the defense employs what the synopsis calls “questionable tactics” to sway the jury, and I don’t even dare speculate on what those might be, given that the title of the episode is “Legitimate Rape.”
10pm, ABC
Nashville
“When You’re Tired of Breaking Other Hearts” finds Rayna sitting down with Katie Couric to spill her guts about her domestic and professional lives. At the rate Nashville is burning through guest stars from ABC’s news division, Season 2 will resort to Scarlett chatting up a couple of adolescent correspondents from those Disney Channel interstitials. Elsewhere this week, Juliette attempts a power play to control her album launch, while Deacon becomes smitten with his dog’s new vet.
10pm, TNT
Southland
John confronts his demons as he endeavors to save Hicks in “Heroes,” while Lydia and Ruben attempt to track down a John Doe. Meanwhile, Ben and Elena kick things up a notch, and Sammy is wracked with guilt over his lie about the tape.
100TH EPISODE, 10pm, USA
Psych
Shawn and Gus attend a clandestine party at a swanky mansion in “100 Clues,” secrecy and swankiness and being two of Shawn and Gus’s unquestioned strong suits, naturally. The host is a one-time rock star who has no memory of committing the murder he was arrested for years ago.
SEASON 28 PREMIERE, 10pm, MTV
The Real World: Portland
A new crew of seven strangers is shunted into a loft and documented as the reality TV grande dame returns. Tune in to find out whether there are still veins of social observation and/or humor about the Pacific Northwest burg’s distinctive culture that haven’t yet been mined by three seasons of Portlandia and sundry internet memes, or if the producers will just fall back on a bunch of gags about artisanal booze.
LATE-NITE:
– Seth Green and Charles Phoenix on Conan, 11pm, TBS
– Past interviews include Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan, and Rascal Flatts on Chelsea Lately, 11pm, E!
– Eva Mendes on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, 11pm, Comedy Central
– Iowa pig farmer Carl Edgar Blake II on The Colbert Report, 11:30pm, Comedy Central
– Kristin Chenoweth, magician Justin Willman, and Josh Groban on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 11:35pm, NBC
– Donald Trump, Gary Gulman and Wavves on Late Show with David Letterman, 11:35pm, CBS
– Bruce Willis, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Divine Fits on Jimmy Kimmel Live, 11:35pm, ABC
– Kathie Lee Gifford, James Purefoy, and Dido on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, 12:37am, NBC
– Don Rickles and Radha Mitchell on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, 12:37am, CBS
GEEK NEWS
... The Sandman author and graphic-novel god Neil Gaiman will write an episode of Doctor Who, his second, for the upcoming season. Gaiman's episode will run in the spring and—get this—feature the villainous tin cybogs known as the Cybermen. The Cybermen first debuted in 1966 and last appeared in the 2011 episode "Closing Time." [BBC America via press release]
BUSINESS TIME
... Approximately 66.8 million viewers tuned in to watch election coverage last night, down slightly (6 percent) from the 2008 election. Maybe some people saw Barack Obama versus white guy and figured it was a repeat? Early numbers suggest NBC won the ratings war, with an average of 12.56 million viewers in primetime. CNN took home the cable prize with a 4.9 rating in the adult demo, but Fox News claimed most overall viewers with 11.6 million. No spoilers! Don't tell me who won yet, I still have it on my DVR. I'm going to watch it as soon I get through all these Super Bowls that I have piled up. [TV By the Numbers]
... The third season of Downton Abbey will premiere in the United States on January 6. That should be plenty of time for you to perfect your scoff at those who don't watch it. [Vulture]
... Two projects from Black List writer Thompson Evans are in the works. Fox is developing Night Hunters, about two cops who pose as cab drivers, and NBC is working on Max General, about the goings-on in the trauma center of a hospital. Cops and doctors! Doctors and cops! We get it, TV! [Deadline Hollywood]
... Chelsea Handler is getting behind another female comic by producing a new show. Fortune Feimster, who writes and co-stars in Handler's Chelsea Lately, will star in the project Discounted, about two half-sisters who try to keep their family furniture business running. The way Handler is sheparding projects for her Chelsea Lately crew, the janitor will have an NBC sitcom in no time. [Deadline Hollywood]
... Sundance Channel has unveiled its development slate for next season, and it features some very serious dramas. Valentines is based on the Olaf Olafsson novel and follows the love lives of a high-powered New York attorney and his three stunning daughters. Behind the Sun is set in mid-'80s Malibu and is about a family that discovers the only child is allergic to the sun. The Descendants is not based on the movie of the same name, and instead focuses on a sheriff who teams up with neighboring Native Americans after tragedy strikes his family. T looks at the life of a transgender man and his emotional present and flashes back to his days as a college lesbian. And Death in the Modern Age is about a man who fakes his own death to start over after his current life goes to shambles. [Sundance via press release]
CASTING NEWS
... Actor Benjamin Walker (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) has taken the lead in the HBO project The Missionary. He'll play a young American who gets tangled in the Cold War while in Germany. This was the role that Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul was set to take before scheduling commitments intervened. [Deadline]
Happy turkey week! Listen as Editor Jen joins Price and Tim to discuss this week's bounteous feast of television goodness. Press play below (or subscribe on iTunes!) to hear our sometimes coherent thoughts on the following hot topics:
... TV.com commenter shout-outs! (00:34)
... How does TV.com compile its year-end Top 100 list? (01:30)
... Why don't we cover more procedurals? (10:02)
... Our favorite Thanksgiving/holiday-themed episodes! (18:56)
... This week's episode of The Walking Dead! (25:38)
... Why we hate hallucinations/dream sequences! (28:35)
... Last week's episode of The Vampire Diaries! (32:10)
... This week's episode of Homeland! (35:50)
... Last week's episode of American Horror Story: Asylum! (41:00)
... Plus more! [SPOILERS ABOUND]
Hey! Is there anything YOU want us to chat about next week? Please leave any topics or suggestions in the comments below!
PREVIOUSLY...– Totally Tubular! Podcast 001 – September 28, 2012
– Totally Tubular! Podcast 002 – October 6, 2012
– Totally Tubular! Podcast 003 – October 10, 2012
– Totally Tubular! Podcast 004 – October 17, 2012
– Totally Tubular! Podcast 005 – October 24, 2012
– Totally Tubular! Podcast 006 – October 31, 2012
– Totally Tubular! Podcast 007 – November 7, 2012
– Totally Tubular! Podcast 008 – November 14, 2012
The CW loves to brag about how some of its shows are the most Socially Media'd shows on television right now (search #TVD on Thursday nights and your Twitter feed might make your computer beg for mercy), and it would like to get a head start on TwitBook with its upcoming drama Cult. The network has posted the pilot online over at CW.com and Hulu for free (we've embedded it below, just note that it's probably only available to U.S. residents), so stop what you're doing and gives this wacky show a shot.
Cult stars Matt Davis (The Vampire Diaries) as a "journalist blogger" who investigates a string of mysterious incidents surrounding a popular television show. He's joined by one of the show's production assistants, and soon the duo learns the show's fans are re-enacting some of the show's more nefarious elements. But the real treat is the show-within-the-show, which stars Robert Knepper as a crazed and charismatic cult leader and Alona Tal as a cop trying to take him down.
It's been months since I've seen the pilot but I remember thinking that it has the potential to be a lot of fun, especially for fans of The CW. Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments!
Cult premieres on Tuesday, February 19 at 9pm on The CW.
Bones S08E15: "The Shot in the Dark"
Bones has had a fine season so far, though it also hasn't been particularly special. "The Ghost in the Machine" episode offered a morbid twist on the POV episode, but it's not like that sort of thing hadn't been done before. While Booth as a stand-up comic in "The But of the Joke" was amusing, the episode wasn't stellar. And the while the dance audition that closed out "The Diamond in the Rough" was hysterical and wonderfully madcap, the episode overall sort of dragged.
To be fair, I don't expect Bones to captivate me each week. I'll take squick-inducing moments with remains, strong character beats, and humor each in place of compelling cases. I mean, even Pelant's return in "The Corpse on the Canopy" was rather underwhelming as far as a longer story arc is concerned, but it did result in horrible scarring for Pelant and the draining of Hodgins' fortune, both of which were probably more interesting than anything else that preceded it.
"The Shot in the Dark" pushed this balance of case of the week and character work in a big way, though it wasn't completely successful for me. Bones was shot at the lab following a fight with Booth over the idea of taking a family vacation to a cabin, with Bones arguing that Christine wouldn't remember the excursion, so what would be the point? She completely ignored the fact that such a trip would create memories for herself and Booth, with Christine in them as well.
Getting shot, as is so often the case on TV, resulted in Bones either suffering hallucinations as a result of the blood loss and being on death's door, or having one foot in that door and gaining access to the afterlife, as she found herself in a simulacra of her childhood home chatting with a manifestation of her mother. Needless to say, Bones, one of TV's few prominent atheists, had issues accepting the notion—and as the show seemed to decide, the fact—that she was dead and talking to the spirit of her mother.
Bones' experiences with her mom recurred throughout the episode as she drifted in and out of consciousness and learned a bit about herself. Over the course of the series, Bones has mellowed from the cold, pragmatic, and generally socially inept scientist we met so many seasons ago to a woman with a good degree of empathy, humor, and even love. Sure, she sometimes struggles to express these things, but the feelings are there, and they've represented a real change for the character.
"The Shot in the Dark" argued that Bones's emphasis on rational thinking grew out of a fight with her mother right before her mom disappeared with Max. It was a fight about a boy, and how young Bones was changing herself too much, acting too emotionally and impulsively, not thinking with her brain. As a result of her mother's departure, Bones threw herself into only using her brain and shutting down her emotions as a way to survive.
It's a reasonable explanation for Bones' behavior over the years, and I really have no issues with that aspect of the episode. But I do think that even without this experience, Bones would've eventually come around to being a bit more spontaneous in her parenting because this series is about her transformation, much more so than it has been about other characters' (though Hodgins has calmed down considerably as a conspiracy theorist).
And I sort of take issue with the episode's decision to link Bones' visions to the afterlife, and the afterlife being treated as fact. To have Bones' atheism questioned and directly challenged by the story—particularly that bit about Max's gift—bugs me. The intrusion of a thing Bones doesn't believe in, and that the episode pushed the interpretation that she's wrong, felt unnecessary. It's possible to be a logical and rational atheist and still be compassionate, loving, and emotional, and a good parent, and it's easy enough to dramatize a shift in Bones's attitude without an emphasis on a god and an afterlife.
Since the show seems interested in exploring this question and this change in its main character, I really hope it follows through. Bones exploring religions of the world, this time without her typical scientific approach, could make for some interesting stories and challenges for both her and Booth—the devout Catholic—to surmount, but I'll say that I'd rather that journey end up with her achieving a sense of well-being through human connections, as she's done for seasons now, and without the religion. No need to change her that much.
– Bones' "Goodbye!" as she slammed the door to the house, and the scene with her talking to herself in the bone room, lent themselves to some truly delightful line-readings from Emily Deschanel.
– I have no idea if the science holds up on a blood bullet, but I also don't really care. It's cool.
– Poor Sweets. Couldn't make it work with Olivia, and even the sex "lacked fireworks." But they're so cute together! I also loved how Sweets made the transition from the $10,000 clock to their failed romance.
– Serious Quantum Leap vibes for that transition from the dream/afterlife to consciousness by way of hug. Perhaps appropriately, Quantum Leap's series finale hit the religion/science split pretty hard.
Elementary S01E14: "The Deductionist"
Last night's Elementary was blessed with a golden opportunity: Airing after the Super Bowl gave the show basically an opportunity at a second premiere, such was the number of new viewers who would be exposed to it. And to give Elementary full credit, its cold open made the absolute most of the opportunity, with a lowest-common-denominator hook, custom-made to snare football fans: namely, two women in bikinis shimmying around Sherlock.
True, it's not for nothing that Super Bowl Sunday is the #1 day of the year in incidences of both sex trafficking and domestic abuse, but doom and gloom aside, introducing the violent mystery the show had in store with a fluffy whipped-cream garnish of pure sex appeal was a brilliant way to go, and the writers justified it with a cute-enough button (Sherlock captured the lap-dancing robbers that had been arousing and bamboozling NYC!). From there the episode went into one of Elementary's cooler and most terrifying mysteries: A convict taken out of jail to donate his kidney to his sister hops off the table in the O.R., absolutely slaughters his team of surgeons, and escapes onto the streets.
I have seen such a deplorable smorgasboard of gratuitous cinematic violence, everything from The Master of the Flying Guillotine to Hobo With a Shotgun, and yet Innes a.k.a. "The Peeler" rising up from the operating table in nothing but a paper gown and killing everyone in the room still stood out as genuinely unnerving. I guess I've never seen someone in scrubs get stabbed; I just compartmentalize the genres of "medical drama" and "cops-fighting-villains," so the overlap felt weirdly scary and fresh and the way it was filmed and edited made it exponentially creepier. Violence for the sake of violence on TV isn't cool bros, but if you're going to throw in a violent bit to make your audience terrified of your villain, this will do the damn trick.
So then the Peeler was out and about terrorizing New York in every conceivable way, an FBI profiler showed up to figure out where he would go now that he was off his chain. Sherlock seemed tres awkward around her and finally screamed at Watson apropos of nothing, "IF YOU'RE ASKING IF WE HAD SEX, YES, OBVIOUSLY!" which was one of the more charming ways to use a character's social weirdness to cut to the heart of the matter. (Another line I genuinely loved, when Watson told him that thanks to his addiction, he had made a friend and then had to clarify "Me. I meant me." Awww you guys.) Yes, the profiler had knocked Sherlock's boots and then spilled his secrets to the world, and Sherlock was still a little tender about it, so this was something he and the Peeler had in common. Neither of them liked being "figured out" by an uppity blonde in the FBI whose profiles didn't so much "profile" as "talk a lot of shit." In fact, she had talked so much shit on Innes and his upbringing that his parents basically died of shame. Shame was the real villain here, truth be told.
Of course, the giant gaping hole in the logic is that if Innes gave two shits about his parents' feelings, he never would have gone about killing and peeling people in the first place—and also, umm, 100 percent of serial murderers were abused in some way by their parents. (All killers no, but serial murderers, the ones who make snuggies out of their victims' skin and so forth, they generally can relate to Carrie.)
Whatever, I'll allow it, it was still scary enough and sort of plausible enough, even when they got to the apartment of the sister whose kidney was ruined and they found her whole house stocked with foods that ruin your kidneys (cheeseballs and licorice, my two faves!!!) so they realized she was complicit in the Peeler's scheme, and that was a stretch, but I went with it and I enjoyed the ride. It helped that the actress playing the sister was absolutely convincing at being both sick and crazy.
Beautifully balancing this ultra-violent psychological thriller case was this weird subplot with Watson's apartment. As soon as I heard she had been subletting her apartment I said aloud to noboody, "Girl tell me you did not all a subletter loose in your house." I don't like to generalize, but subletters are shady. I've seen a subletter leave a pot of nipple paint out on the bathroom counter for all the world to see and I've had a subletter tell me to my face that three girls—and one of whom was his girlfriend—had died in his arms. I'm not kidding! And this was after he had ASKED ME OUT. You are really shouting out to the universe "Chaos Theory, show me what you got!" and throwing the door of your house wide open when you sublet, is all I'm saying.
Anyway, the fact that this show owned that and then turned it into this recurring weird visual joke—especially when they showed clips of that porn—was so weirdly funny and tangential and brilliant. I love that Elementary took a little leap there and injected some off-kilter humor that way, bravo. It balanced the grisliness of the Peeler somewhat.
But the final confrontation between Sherlock and the Peeler and the gun and the handcuffs— honestly, I didn't get it. I mean, I understood the words and the logic, but it seemed that by creating that situation Sherlock was proving her profile of himself true, not making any points about Innes. That Sherlock would self-destructively put himself and a gun across from a serial killer said more about him than who Innes was, no matter what he chose (gun or cuffs, and ultimately I'd say it's braver to take the cuffs and face down a confession than kill someone else in a man-to-man confrontation). I'd love a commenter's take on this exchange and what it meant for both of them.
So yes, a weird and wonderful episode. If this had been first experience with Elementary I'd tune in next week, so, Super Bowl opportunity: well won!
QUESTIONS:
1. On a scale of 1-10, how believable is it that a law-abiding woman would ruin her kidneys to revenge her parents?
2. Have you ever had an experience with a shady subletter?
3. What exactly was Sherlock offering with the gun and the handcuffs?
Arrow S01E12: "Vertigo"
In the comments of these reviews, we've often discussed the villains on Arrow. They either die or are non-entities, and it's been frustrating. One of the delights of the superhero is the rogues' gallery, and the series has shied away from really building one for Oliver. Sure, China White's lurking about (maybe), Deathstroke's on the island, and there's Malcolm Merlyn and his Dark Archer persona, but they're a part of a criminal organization (the Triads), stuck in flashbacks, or they're playing a long game regarding Starling City.
So the Count, inspired by the comic book character Count Vertigo, represented a big move for the series. Along with Merlyn, Count Vertigo is probably one of Green Arrow's most threatening foes. In the comics, he uses a device that corrects an inner ear problem to induce the vertigo effect, and against a character like Green Arrow, where aim is everything, you can see how that sort of an ability would make him a dangerous adversary.
Arrow opted to change things a bit, and I generally like its idea of a drug dealer selling the hot new thing. It updates the character, allowing him to be younger than his comic book counterpart tends to be and to fit into the urban crime vibe of the series. His drug is his weapon of choice, not only in terms of making money and obtaining power in Starling City, but in ensuring that he has a last line of defense should all his goons get shot.
But it didn't completely work for me. While I didn't dislike Seth Gabel's performance as the Count since I do enjoy this type of scenery-chewing villain (and boy does he chew that scenery), it was a real departure for the series, as it highlighted someone who not only had that manic energy but who reveled in causing suffering. As Gabel said in a recent interview, though, the character was pitched to him as being Joker-esque, particularly in a The Dark Knight vein, and we saw shades of that as the Count played a Vertigo-infused round of "One bullet left!" with a drug dealer and as he attempted to justify his actions as a public service, of sorts, during the big showdown.
I appreciate the desire to create a big, brash nemesis for Oliver to square off against, and goodness knows I think the show could benefit from that, but I think the writers tried a little too hard to create a Joker-esque character in the Count, especially since we found out at the end of the episode that he'd survived the dose of Vertigo, but may now be, well, insaner. That, or he's going to come back with superpowers. Maybe both?
Speaking of unstable characters, let's talk about Thea. I've defended Thea from time to time, both in reviews and in the comments, as a girl who's struggling to come to grips with loss and isolation and who lacks the support system necessary to overcome those issues. While I think the show wants that aspect of her character to be the motivating cause of her behaviors, it doesn't always work in that regard, and it didn't work here. Wanting to go to jail to punish Moira for cheating on her husbands? Not even in the most self-centered of teen angsty minds would that idea make sense, and it didn't make a hell of a lot of sense here. Apart from the need for dramatic conflict in this subplot, it's just silly for her to reject 500 hours of community service, two years of probation, and having to be Laurel's intern at CNRI.
The resolution of that particular plot, as Thea accepted the fact that it was Moira who stayed true to Robert, felt rushed and generally unmotivated. She didn't buy it from Oliver, but Moira and Oliver discussed it and she was suddenly all game for the notion? Whatever. If this manages to push the Queen family stuff in a more productive direction because the tensions between Moira and Thea have been lessened, I'll take it as a narrative shortcut and I'll just repress the parts I didn't like.
On the upside, Thea seeing the truth about Robert, or at least that version of it, gave Felicity handing over the notebook to Oliver a nice bit of symmetry, as Oliver is now on the path to finding out the truth about Moira. While I certainly miss Walter, I'm all in favor of the show bringing Oliver and Felicity into more direct cahoots with one another, as opposed to the self-reflexively acknowledged and increasingly lame "B.S. stories."
The island flashback was fine. I was a bit disappointed in Yao Fei's reversal as I wanted the impact of that twist where he was a bad guy to carry through for a bit. However, he turned out to be an okay dude who beat the crap out of Oliver to save him from Fyers' clutches. And so that journey continues.
As does our own with Arrow. We have eleven episodes left in the season, and I still feel almost the same as I did even after the four-episode test back in November: I like the show, and I see a lot of potential, but it's not setting my world on fire. I'm hoping that as we enter the back half of the series where the full-season pickup would have been announced, that the series starts tightening itself up a bit.
For most of you, that would likely mean minimizing or outright excising the supporting cast, save for Diggle and possibly Felicity. For me, it means giving Laurel and Tommy and Thea and Moira stronger stories, and could possibly even mean episodes where there's no crime-fighting at all, in order to focus on building up those character connections. The struggles of the hero having a dual identity and having to juggle the lives that surround the hero are a part of superhero narratives, and I don't want to see that aspect eliminated from Arrow; it just needs to be improved upon. I'm hoping we see that improvement as we move forward.
– Count Vertigo in the comics is also royalty of an eastern European country, though he's often not ruling it or has been ousted, hence the life of crime. The character's also made appearances in Batman: The Animated Series, The Batman, and Young Justice. He's a pretty high-profile villain, as they go.
– "The Count? That's worse than the Hood." But is it lamer than Green Arrow?
– Fun comic book fact: Green Arrow actually had a Joker-esque villain named Leapo the Clown, though he went by the name Bull's Eye.
– I'm not going to lie: I really didn't think we'd see Oliver's Russian mob contacts again.
– "Fantastic. Looking forward to my new and exciting career as a drug dealer."
– Mansions! Great for hiding just outside of rooms in order to overhear the conversations happening within them before making a dramatic entrance!
– Oh my. Oliver shirtless and he's handcuffed to a table. I do believe that Diggle has been reading my fanfic.
– Promo for next week seems to be pretty Laurel heavy. So, you know, spend the interim preparing yourselves.
Elementary S01E03: "Child Predator"
I find child murder inappropriate for television. I hate to sound like an old killjoy yelling at everybody to get out of her yard, but while I can/have/love to watch murder mystery after horror movie after action film where over-18-year-olds get taken out like mice under a lawn mower, just the sight of a gloved hand gesturing for a child to get in a car is a little too much for me. Elementary tried to find a loophole in the old "Don't use the most heartbreaking crime on earth for entertainment value" rule last night with a twist: The child we saw kidnapped in the opening was actually the mastermind behind all the subsequent child captures and murders. Still, this is just NOT how I like to relax, folks. Aren't there enough compelling ways to kill grown-ups without ratcheting up the stakes to, "Someone has your little girl!"?
To be fair, its not like Elementary was intent on rendering the loss of a child with gritty realism a la The Killing. The parents of the kidnapped little girl were introduced to the audience a few seconds before their televised interview and then got really mad when Sherlock came in and brought the media junket to a screeching halt. Grieving parents need their screentime, okay?! As much as we all loved Sherlock for stopping the interview in the most aggressive way possible (spray paint on the camera lens! Someone tell Lindsay Lohan to carry spray paint in her car and tag paparazzi!):
...but like, why was the family giving interviews so soon? Redonk. And then later they told the police chief he would be the FIRST ONE they'd go after talking to "the press." We got the impression that the second call they made after calling the police was to a PR agency for representation. Simmer, grieving TV parents! Simmer.
As for spotting tiny details and weaving them into a damning narrative, last night's episode was one of the more successful ones we've seen so far. Sherlock's glance at the kitchen led to the discovery of an Anna Nicole-lookalike mistress.
A paint scratch on a parked car told a tale of the kidnapper's van (shudder shudder shudder) and the banter between Sherlock and Watson was simply adorable. "I thought I was just a cavernous expanse between two ears," Watson coyly whispered at one point. After last week effectively drove a wedge between the pair, this week was about Sherlock vocalizing what he likes about Watson and validating her role beyond all the "sobriety twaddle"—she provides a sounding board, she actively assists in supporting him rather than interfering with his process. (Also she's provided several integral clues in the last couple weeks, but that was glossed over.) And how adorable was it when they fell in step doing squats? Lucy Liu gets extra points for doing squats in high heels.
The person in this episode who got a million points was Johnny Simmons, who took a break from the big screen to step into this juicy/thankless role as a child child-murderer, a 19-year-old who was first kidnapped and then used his superior intellect to direct his abductor and commit more and more murders (shudder). He seriously knocked my socks off both as a vulnerable brainwashed abductee whispering sweet nothings across the table from Sherlock and also as a "lettin' the freak flag fly" psychopath with an immunity deal taunting Sherlock in the park. Not to mention that gracefully handled some rather clumsy exposition speeches. I almost felt sad when cops picked him up because having him around a couple more episodes as a small-arc nemesis could have been cool, but hopefully his schedule was too full. Hire him, Hollywood, is what I'm saying! He great!
About the sweet nothings... there was a lot of whispering in this episode. There was a point where they were all watching Adam from behind two-way glass, Aidan Quinn, Watson, and Sherlock, and just whispering up a storm. Two-way glass is soundproof, right? Or was the perp on the other side sitting there thinking, "Is someone swishing around a rain stick on the other side of that mirror? What is going on?"
There was also a full spectrum of topless men last night, the hugely built and fantastically furry JLM bien sûr but also the serial killer appeared topless at a kitchen table in a back brace and it was pretty upsetting. Although, note to casting director/hair person: You did not pick enough of a weirdo for this serial killer. No offense to the actor (in fact, take it as a compliment!) but this is just not the face of a weirdo serial killler:
But you know who WAS weirding it up? Sherlock, who must have been given the direction, "You're not just a tweaker this episode, you're a tweaker on no sleep. Play it BIG!" If you've ever been around someone so exquisitely manic that they haven't slept for four days, you know that the body pulls on weird reserves of energy, making them increasingly jumpy and skittish until it's exhausting to be around them (I know from personal experience, long story, don't ask). In an attempt to capture both this energy and the Sherlock Holmes exactness and precise-itude, JLM was whipping around people and spinning on his heel like a nervous high school kid giving a cheeky presentation he'd worked on for way too long in front of a class. Just pure nerve. Well done, JLM, and also knock it off JLM! You're making me skittish.
Also, as much as I'm warming up to JLM's Sherlock, I fantasize from time to time about the roles of Sherlock and Watson being reversed and Liu playing a cold, icy, Sherlock to JLM's hunky Watson. Sigh! #fantasyseriesreset
So to sum: Aside from the regrettable content of the mystery, the way it was handled and the dynamic between Watson and Sherlock showed real growth and promise. As usual I had almost no patience with the actual B-story mystery going on, but the increasing detail involved in the mysteries and the actors, the characters, and their very cozy flophouse keep me coming back. Also are you THIRSTY GUYS?! Because there were no bees in this episode and don't even tell me tea = honey. Need to see wings and hear buzzing, people. Bet a coke would taste PRETTY GOOD RIGHT NOW but alas, no bees.
QUESTIONS:
1. Child murder: should procedurals steer clear?
2. Johnny Simmons: a young, male Meryl Streep?
3. How tall is JLM ?
4. Would you feel invigorated or collapse with exhaustion if you did 100 squats in a row?
5. Should stars being stalked by paparazzi fight back by spraying paint on the paparazzi's cameras?
Elementary "Child Predator" Photos
Now that it's nearly Halloween, our TV schedules have started to get downright spooky! In this week's episode of Totally Tubular!, Price and Tim (and TV.com editor Jen Trolio) discuss the following hot, hot things:
... TV.com commenter shout-outs! (01:24)
... Y'all torrenting?! (3:46)
... Negative coverage! (05:27)
... The premiere of American Horror Story: Asylum! [SPOILERS] (12:43)
... The Walking Dead's Season 3 premiere! (20:52)
... The Vampire Diaries' Season 4 premiere! (23:57)
... Tim still loves Go On! (26:15)
... The gang remembers Nickelodeon's Are You Afraid of the Dark?! (29:30)
... Plus more! [SPOILERS ABOUND]
Hey! Is there anything YOU want us to chat about next week? Please leave any topics or suggestions in the comments below!
PREVIOUSLY...– Totally Tubular! Podcast 001 – September 28, 2012
– Totally Tubular! Podcast 002 – October 6, 2012
– Totally Tubular! Podcast 003 – October 17, 2012
– Tim's review of last week's Fringe, "The Recordist"
– Tim's most recent (negative) review of Revolution
– Price's story from last year about the most WTF moments from American Horror Story's series premiere
– Price's photo recap of The Vampire Diaries' Season 4 premiere
– Tim's (positive!) review of The Walking Dead's Season 3 premiere
– News Briefs: The Walking Dead Dominated the Ratings in Its Return
Sure it's only Wednesday, but that doesn't mean Price and Tim don't have things to say! In this week's episode of Totally Tubular!, the fellas discuss the following hot items:
... TV.com commenter shout-outs! (01:16)
... Price makes a scandalous confession! (4:40)
... Made in Jersey got canceled! (07:48)
... Fox renewed The Mindy Project and Ben & Kate! (09:17)
... Tim has seen The Walking Dead's Season 3 premiere! (11:25)
... Price has seen The Vampire Diaries' Season 4 premiere! (15:00)
... Arrow premieres this week! (19:20)
... Tim's difficult relationship with Revolution! (21:49)
... Price and Tim discuss writing negative reviews! (22:25)
... Price brings up The Paperboy and philosophizes about criticism in general! (24:11)
... Plus more! [SPOILERS ABOUND]
Hey! Anything YOU want us to chat about next week? Please leave any topics or suggestions in the comments below!
... Totally Tubular! Podcast 001 – September 28, 2012
... Totally Tubular! Podcast 002 – October 6, 2012
Bob's Burgers S03E02: "Full Bars"
Bob's Burgers did its first Halloween-themed show tonight, joining the long history of Fox's animated series celebrating the holiday with a dedicated episode. As far as first forays into the tradition go, "Full Bars" was a solid one, even if I have some quibbles.
Teddy's "Black and Orange" party was where the episode stumbled a little bit. I love send-ups of the "murder investigations at a party" scenario, but I never felt like "Full Bars" committed to it all that well. There were good bits to be had—I liked Teddy comparing shoes to the deceased guinea pig Francis, and the realization that Teddy and Francis essentially had matching costumes cracked me up—but they never amounted to a satisfying whole.
The biggest fault may've been with the climax, or lack thereof. The decision to shift the blame to both Bob rolling all over Francis and Teddy spray-painting her left the whole event feeling sort of wasted, without much of a punchline. Everyone just wandered off, and then Linda recounted the tale to the kids when they arrived home.
But with that said, it wasn't that big of an issue in the long run since the rest of the episode was such a treat.
After being thwarted in their own neighborhood (receiving oyster crackers, order numbers at the deli, and seaweed candy from Mr. Frond), the kids took advantage of their first solo trick-or-treating excursion and decided to head across the bay to Kingshead Island, where the upper-class families live ("Rich people are better at Halloween." "And skin care!").
I think it's really to the show's credit that it didn't engage in some intense class-warfare comedy. The episode was defter than that, painting Kingshead Island as a more complicated place than just "where the rich people live." Milo and Ned's costumes weren't particularly inventive compared to the Belchers', and they even recognized Gene's masterful Queen Latifah costume (while failing to identify Tina as a mommy mummy). These weren't snobby kids. Even Bryce and his gang weren't concerned with the fact that the Belchers were from the mainland. They just saw some young kids out past the Halloween curfew, prime targets for the Hell Hunt ("IT'S HELEN HUNT!!!").
Most of the humor was actually mined from the Belchers' amazement at full-sized candy bars ("How did this not topple your economy?!"), and they even came off in a slightly poorer light than Milo or Ned after they took more than one candy bar from the Wagners' self-serve candy bowl. While this sort of thing could come off as mean-spirited, making fun of blue-collar kids, I feel like the show has earned these moments over the course of its brief run—the strength of the family, and its neighborhood, has routinely been connected to its lower economic rung. The kids were be a bit out of place, and it was ultimately their outsider status that allowed them to turn the tables on Bryce's gang.
So Bob's gave us a decent bag of candy for its first outing at Halloween, and hopefully it'll just be the first of many.
– "Maybe means maybe, Bob. It doesn't mean 'I'm too scared to say no.'"
– Specials board: The Jack-O-Lentil burger.
– "Right. Left. Kill. Kill." "You know it's a limp, Teddy."
– Bryce and his gang were so lame that they even made a tired The Warriors reference. Amanda was totally right to ignore him.
– "I can pee on myself. I don't need any handouts."
– Louise's slo-mo throw of Amanda's phone into her passing car and it missing? That's the sort of punchline that was missing from the Teddy's party plot.
– A quick programming note: Since it's October, that means it's time for the MLB postseason, and that means Fox's schedule gets a little wonky. There'll be no Bob's Burgers (or any Fox animated programming, for that matter) next Sunday, but it'll be back on Oct. 21.
Another week, another basket full of TV-related topics! In this week's (now-downloadable!) episode of Totally Tubular!, Price and Tim discuss the following hot items:
... TV.com commenter shout-outs! (01:55)
... Price is still watching Supernatural! (02:47 and then again somewhere around 22:00)
... Revolution being one of the season's first full-season pickups (05:07)
... Which shows might get canceled! (09:00)
... Homeland's Season 2 premiere! (12:15)
... Fringe's Season 5 premiere! (13:55)
... The benefits of a Revenge marathon! (16:00)
... Person of Interest! (18:55)
... What even IS baseball? (25:30)
... Second episodes! What we liked, what we didn't. (26:00)
... Plus more! [SPOILERS ABOUND]
Hey! Anything YOU want us to chat about next week? Please leave any topics or suggestions in the comments below!
P.S. Also just so you know FYI as we mentioned in this week's episode, we are working on making this thing available on iTunes. Stay tuned!
Misfits S02E04: "Four"
The newest addition to the ASBO gang, Ollie, may have been cut down in his prime, but his superpower lives on in Nikki, so that's a win for Curtis's love life at least. Apparently powers can be acquired through organ transplants, as long as the donor was one of the numerous Londoners affected by the storm, like Ollie and his power to teleport.
Ollie found himself unceremoniously murdered by one of the oddest Misfits villain to date, mostly because we received no explanation about why he seemed to think that he was living a video game, right down to seeing the world in 3-D rendered glory. Crappy superpower? Drugs? Mental illness? Who knows. I personally went with crappy superpower because, well, more often than not that's the way Misfits baddies work. Besides, his hallucinations were so vivid and extreme that anything less than superpowered storm action would be kind of a letdown.
After witnessing Ollie's execution, Alisha confronted Super Simon about why he didn't stop the murder if he knew it was going to happen—a fact that he admitted to. He said that if he had saved Ollie, someone else would have died instead. It was apparent that he meant Nikki, the recipient of organ donor Ollie's heart, but judging by Super Simon's ultimate endgame, I don't think it's out of the question that he could have been referring to Alisha as well.
Present-day Simon continued to make strides toward becoming his badass future self. He voiced a desire to go after crazy hallucinating Tim in order to avenge Ollie—a pretty grand gesture considering no one in the group really knew Ollie beyond their awkward introductions. When Tim kidnapped Kelly, Simon played an integral role in the rescue effort, using his invisibility—which he's developed some impressive control over—to rob an armored car for the ransom money. Outside of the mortal peril matters, when the gang debated whether or not to tell Ollie about their powers and discussed what to do with him if he discovered them, Simon joked, "Kill him," which amused everyone except Nathan, who feared losing his funnyman status to Simon as Simon crept out of his "weird little shell."
All of these nods toward Simon's eventual identity were needed to bridge the two individuals. Alisha struggled with thinking of Future Simon and Present Simon as the same person, which made Future Simon's sacrifice, when he leaped in front of Tim's bullet, all the more devastating. As he died, Future Simon consoled Alisha by reminding her that in a way, he's still alive for her. Alisha argued that it wasn't the same (it wasn't), but Super Simon assured her that Present Simon would evolve and flourish as Alisha fell in love with him. He would become his future self because of her.
That's touching (and yes, the Las Vegas picture down in the Hoodie Cave brought a bittersweet smile to my face), but it also raises a few questions:
1. Is it really a positive thing for Simon to become Super Hoodie? I mean, it eventually gets him killed.
2. If Simon went back in time to save Alisha, and succeeded, does that mean that there's a Future Alisha mourning his absence?
3. If there isn't a Future Alish, then where is she? Does she die regardless, in some other way?
4. Or is it an alternate-timeline deal? Simon came back to save Alisha because her death at Tim's hand destroyed him to the point that he became Super Hoodie. By saving her, he ensures their future together will happen and be awesome.
5. Or will it? If it was Alisha's death that motivated Simon to become Super Hoodie, and she doesn't die, then doesn't he theoretically avoid becoming Super Hoodie?
6. And if he doesn't become Super Hoodie, and it was Super Hoodie whom Alisha loved, then how does everyone live happily ever after?
Whew. Enjoy those mental gymnastics.
Meanwhile, Nikki and Curtis made a great deal of progress in their own relationship. Curtis and Alisha ended things amicably, content with their respective partners. Nikki discovered her teleportation powers in the hospital as she recovered from her heart transplant, when thoughts about who her donor was zapped her straight to the morgue where Ollie's body rested. Freaked, she begged her doctor for another heart, but they don't just give those things away, so she was basically stuck with Ollie's. An encounter with Curtis at Ollie's memorial had her spilling the beans about her weird new ability, which in turn inspired him to share his own secret power with her. It was a surprisingly drama-free affair and Nikki dove right into being a "misfit" when Tim ended up taking all of them hostage after their attempted rescue of Kelly fell apart.
My gosh, they're really the worst super team ever, aren't they? I say that with love, but seriously, there was one Tim and four of them, and of the four of them, one of them possesses the ability to go invisible and one of them is immortal. Honestly, even just throwing Alisha at him and having her grab his arm would have probably provided enough distraction for someone to take his gun away. It kind of makes me extra bummed about Super Hoodie's death just because if you think about it, there's really no reason why the group, eventually totalling SIX super-powered individuals, should have been overpowered by a single crazy dude, requiring Hoodie to step in and take a bullet for Alisha. Bad form, you guys. Bad form.
Are we sad to see Super Hoodie go? Was it a worthy sacrifice, or should the rest of the gang have been more capable of holding their own? I mean, it was SIX to ONE.