Wed, Mar 12th, 2008
10:00 The Shield
12:00 Voyager
The Shield. Season 4, Episode 3. The pleasure here is in watching the layers of storytelling: every character seems to have two motivations for their actions. Vic, Monica, Dutch, everyone seems to have a Plan B. Apart from that, it's great to see the bond forming between Vic and Monica, but it's still very hard to see where all of this is going. She seems much tougher in this episode (especially in the cool final scene) but the viewer has to wonder if she can deliver on her promises. Dutch's frustration with Claudette is well written and played, and leads to a surprising conclusion. The show hardly remembles itself anymore (with a new main character and the Strike Team disbanded) but it is much better. And I never thought The Shield could get better than it already was.
Voyager. Season 6, Episode 26. Television rarely manages to write women that show genuine concern and respect for one another, but Voyager gave us Janeway and Seven, and this episode illustrates their bond very well. It's also one of the show's cleverest story ideas, as Seven is contacted by a dissident group of Borg who have found a virtual world in which to live out their lives as individuals. Janeway has a desire to take their virtual resistence out into the real world and this - of course - brings her into conflict with the Borg Queen. The story is fast moving, frequently shows the main characters gathered around one another for the big decisions and ends with a superb cliff-hanger. Janeway's plan involves being captured and assimilated!!?? Wow. She's crazy, but I love her.
Highlight? Voyager
The Shield, Voyager
