05.30 The Sarah Connor Chronicles
06.30 Prison Break
07.30 Slings And Arrows
02.30 The Twilight Zone
03.00 Big Wolf On Campus
The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Season 2, Episode 10. "Strange Things Happen At The One Two Point" It puzzles me that TSSC never became a big ratings hit. Maybe the show is too cerebral? Despite the fact that most episodes (including this one) feature a strong action element, this is still show driven by concepts and ideas. It's a clever show. Maybe too clever for it's own good.
The show is not driven by easy-to-define ideas, while the other best shows on TV are. "Find Earth", "Get off the island", "Steal Scylla" are the engines drive other TV shows and you can see - every week - how the heroes are progressing towards that goal. On TSCC it may not be possible, for the average viewer, to see how the story onscreen fits into the stated aim of the heroes: "Stop Skynet."
This is not a criticism. Just an observation. I love this show and every element of it. And the show's fans love it. I just don't think that the average viewer (who flicks across channels and finds the show) is going to see anything that will grab them. It's a pity. It's a remarkable show. And this is yet another very strong episode. One packed with some surprises.
Sarah becomes involved with a company called Dakara Systems because she believes that they will lead her to the Turk (from Season One) and - once again - the show introduces us to apparently decent people whose actions will inadvertently lead to the rise of Skynet. It's one of my favourite elements of the show: Sarah and the gang having to stop good people.
Things are not as they appear, however, and by the end of the story Sarah is kicking ass in a major way. She throws the Dakara guy around the room in much the same manner that Cameron flings people around and reminds me that she is still the central hero in the show. Lena Headey does a great job in the role. She not only makes Sarah believable as an action hero but she conveys all the confusion/doubt that the character has been experiencing in recent episodes.
This is the episode that tells us that Riley is all all she appears to be. I love the character of Riley. Not because of the character herself. It's not like liking Emerson Cod on Pushing Daisies, which means I love the character and if they spun him off into his own show I would want to watch it. No, this affection for Riley is based on how she fits into this show and how she affects John. His mother and the rest of the gang have told him to stay away from Riley and he has disregarded them every step of the way. I find that fascinating, as an example of his growth into manhood.
Tonight we learn that there is much more to Riley. She's an agent for Jesse and she is deliberately trying to get John away from Cameron. Wonderful. The show has made us think in the past about John's influence on Cameron, and we've seen her changing (or appearing to change). Now, for the first time, the show makes me think about Cameron's influence on John. Jesse says it. In the future, he has spent decades with this woman/android. She is his only confident. And that is fascinating.
It also draws attention to the idea of John and Cameron spending all this time together. A friendship/love that spans the years. And nobody outside the two of them quite understanding what it is that they have. What a tragic 'love affair'.
Tragic is the word to describe the death of Dr. Sherman. Killed by the AI (now called "John Henry") who doesn't understand the idea of death. This incident (which was a twist I did not see coming) allows Ellison - and us - take a fascinating journey into the mind of the AI. What a great creative decision it was to avoid using a corny computer voice and instead allow John Henry to communicate through pictures. Genius.
As Ellison went head to head with John Henry to talk about morals/ethics and The Ten Commandments I was riveted to the screen. These concepts are at the core of what the Terminator Universe should be about. But, again, I wonder what the average viewer makes of all this stuff?
On a sidebar, I notice that the show started off with two strong heroic females and has added three deceptive/duplicitous females to it's ranks in Season Two. And, when you think about it, the jury is still out on Cameron.
Prison Break. Season 4, Episode 12. "Selfless" A thrill ride from start to finish. One of the wonderful things about Prison Break has always been it's skillful storytelling. They always manage to keep back crucial details, and mislead you about what you are seeing. You see something and you think you know what it means. You think you know why the information has been given to you. Misdirection. The stuff of good comedy, good magic and great storytelling.
There were many twists in this episode. We find out who the General's daughter is and we see how Michael uses that to his advantage. We also find out that Self is more than he appears to be.
It was a very satisfying episode. Seeing the General react to everything that Michael said/did was a hoot. Seeing really mean bad guys get taken down in spectacular fashion is part of the reason for watching this wonderful show. And it never fails to deliver.
Slings And Arrows. Episode One. "Oliver's Dream" Superb opening episode. Most of the hour is devoted to Oliver Wells and the opening night of his 10th production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in the town of New Burbage. It's a flat, lifeless production and Oliver knows it. So his story is a sad one, but not without its laughs. Other characters step into the limelight: An eager young actress, her jaded friend, the general manager of the theatre/festival and - most notably - an actor who is no longer part of life in New Burbage.
It's a superb opening hour. The feeling of backstage life is perfectly captured. I've been there and I recognise the types. It's a superb cast but Martha Burns really impressed me.
The Twilight Zone. Season 3, Episode 4. "The Hunters" Some cave paintings come to life, kill an archaeologist and are then destroyed by the local sheriff. End of story. Not much of a story. Just a tale of an odd happening, with nothing much to tie it to the characters in the story. The first three episodes were much stronger. The first tale was about one man's vision of the world. Story two was also a personal tale while the third one was a study in personal guilt. This one is different. And is all the weaker for it.
Michael Hogan is good as the Sheriff, Louise Fletcher is a bit stiff as the archaeologist, and the while thing looks good. The scenes where she is being menaced in the cave are very effective. When the Sheriff sees the cave paintings move, it looks great.
But, ultimately, none of it means anything.
Big Wolf On Campus. Episode 15. "Fangs for the Memories" Some vampires hit town. It's an okay story but the pace is quite slow. There are only a few changes of setting/location and most of the story is confrontations between the heroes and the bad guys. The show is at it's best when it stops for comedy. Very few of the comedy highlights are Merton-based, which is unexpected, and the character of Stacey is not at all nice. For instance, she is really horrible to Tommy for coming to her rescue (when she is being hassled by the vampire guys). It looks like some misguided attempt at writing female empowerment.
Highlight? Prison Break (satisfying)
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Wed, Nov 26, 08 - Sarah Connor, Prison Break, Slings And Arrows, Twilight Zone, Big Wolf
