04:30 Garrison's Gorillas
08:00 The Big Bang Theory
10:30 Flying Blind
11:00 Keen Eddie
12:30 The Girl From UNCLE
Garrison's Gorillas. Episode 9. "Operation Hellfire" Good episode. It opens with the introduction of the guest character: a Chicago cop who can help the team on the latest mission behind enemy lines. Problem is: he hates working with the convicts and they dislike him and his attitude. It's a good opening scene because we get to see Garrison defending his men, and we can see that they really are a team at this stage. Behind enemy lines the team is soon involved in a spectacular battle with Nazi soldiers. It goes on for ages and is very exciting and action-packed. Our tough cop is injured (his sight is affected, but - of course - he tells nobody because he don't to reveal his weakness).
The mission starts, so we get lots and lots of silent action in the vein of Mission: Impossible as the team do their thing and the episode climax has everybody trying to get out of a huge burning building. But this stage the guest-character's eyesight has completely failed and it's up to one of the guys he hates to get him out safely.
This is worth watching for the action sequences and the cast chemistry. They are a great bunch and this is a good episode for showing how close the characters are to one another.
The Big Bang Theory. Episode 12. "The Jerusalem Duality" A so-so episode. Once again Sheldon gets on everyone's nerves. But it's not that funny this time out and is - wisely - kept from being the main thrust of the episode. This time out: it's up to Leonard, Wolowitz and Koothrappali to find a date for a 15-year genius. And there are a few laughs to be had. Particularly in the last half of the episode.
Flying Blind. Episode 6. "Prelude to a Brisket" A so-so episode. This time out it's not about Neil being sucked into the crazy world of Alicia, rather it is her that embraces the inanity of suburbia (after meeting Neil's parents for the first time). Laughs are a bit more scarce than usual, but Greg Grunberg steals the show as Neil's unhappy brother.
Keen Eddie. Episode 7. "Black Like Me" In it's short run, Keen Eddie told many memorable stories and this is one of the very best. In the aftermath of a violent jewellery heist Eddie and Monty get a confession from a man they suspect could not be guilty. He's not. Turns out that he is willing to take the fall for a woman who lives close to him. A woman he loves. It was her boyfriend that committed the crime but she's afraid of him and says that he'll take her down as an accomplice if he gets arrested. So her friend (who is in love with her) is going to take the fall and get her off the hook. She says she'll find a way to ditch her scary boyfriend and wait for her "hero" to get out of prison.
And that's it. There's lot of other stuff, too, and most of it is funny and inventive, but this episode is about the love story. Is she lying? How far will he go for her? It's great stuff. A reminder that Keen Eddie isn't just a wacky, stylish comedy-drama but also a damn fine police show with some great stories to tell. Eddie Arlett is a great character. He makes a connection with people and he tries to help those who cross his path. The guest cast is fantastic: Ray Fearon will break your heart as the man in love, and Kirsty Mitchell is beautiful enough to make you think anyone would go to jail for her. Her performance is such that you never know when she is lying and when she is telling the truth. Great stuff.
The Girl From UNCLE. Episode 1. "The Dog-Gone Affair" Silly opening episode in which April Dancer fails to make much of an impression. The story involves the smuggling onto a Greek island of a small dog, because the fleas she carries have an antidote to a deadly new THRUSH drug being tested on the island (!!). The drug itself causes people to slow down to half-speed and looks like it would be a lot of fun if used in the story, but - sadly -it makes a very small appearance at the top of the episode and is never shown again. Instead we get an awful lot of running from A to B and back from B to A. Over and over. The dog alternates between being (a) lost and (b) found. And, by the end, I was quite bored.
Highlight? Keen Eddie (is love real?)
Yet Another TV Review Podcast
Yet Another TV Review Book
Thu, Sep 4, 08 - Garrison's Gorillas, Big Bang Theory, Flying Blind, Keen Eddie, Girl From UNCLE
