Sunday, July 12th, 2009
06.30 Doctor Who
07.30 Legend Of The Seeker
08.30 Supernatural
01.30 Superboy
Doctor Who. Season 28, Episode 13. "Doomsday" Daleks vs. Cybermen. Rose leaves.
A fitting season finale. Great balance between all-out planet-wide terror and more intimate moments between friends.
After last week's great cliff-hanger there was one major reason to look forward to this episode: the promise of seeing the Daleks and Cybermen at war for control of planet Earth. And the show delivered. In spades.
Yet, in the midst of all the stuff about warring cyber-races the show succeeds in writing heartfelt, genuine character moments. In the middle of all the chaos, Jackie met a version of her long-dead husband from a parallel Earth. To my great surprise, their reunion moved me.
Likewise, Rose's long-drawn out goodbye to The Doctor was (very nearly) a tearjerker. I mean, how many times did they part anyways? Three, at least! Maybe four. But the very, very last one was the best/saddest. (I half-expected her to pop up after the closing credits for yet another farewell!)
When I first read that Billie Piper was cast in Doctor Who I shuddered and expected the worst. I was so wrong. Right from her first episode it was clear that Rose was destined to be one of the best ever companions, and Billie Piper has been a joy to watch in the role.
Legend Of The Seeker. Episode 6. "Elixir" Magic for sale (like drugs, basically).
More of the same. I like this show. I do. But it's the same thing every week. One of them is captured (this time: it's Zed, again). Richard and Kahlan share lots of longing stares (for, you know, the love that can never be). And there's a big slow-motion sword fight at the end.
This week's story has the added curiosity of being a thinly-disguised look at the issue of drugs and drug-use in modern society. At least I think that's what it was all about.
Supernatural. Season 4, Episode 12. "Criss Angel Is A Douchebag" Stage magicians.
Good story, great guest stars.
Richard Libertini is sadly underused, but Barry Bostwick and John Rubinstein carry the episode, appearing in more episodes than the Winchesters. There's even a solid surprise cameo from Michael Weston. When I first saw him, I totally didn't get the casting. But, knowing that he is the real-life son of John Rubinstein, it makes perfect sense. Either way, it was cool to see him (he made a great impression on me with his episodes of House).
Superboy. Season 2, Episode 5. "Nightmare Island" Clark/Superboy, Lana and Andy are stranded on an island. Something/Someone is watching them...
Dumb.
It's interesting to see Superboy without powers, having to rely on Andy for help, and Gerard Christopher gives a typically great performance as The Man Of Steel (especially in the fight scene at the end, when it looks like he is genuinely struggling for his life and doesn't know how to cope with that feeling) but this is a very stupid episode.
It seems to be have been designed primarily as a means towards having Stacy Haiduk clad in as little as possible for as long as possible, with no thought given to any story logic.
Clark and his two friends arrive on a mysterious island when their boat sinks. Clark promptly wanders off and the other two never worry very much about him, seemingly distracted by the sudden arrival of Superboy. The show usually has amusing ways of dealing with the Clark/Superboy switch, but this is just stupid.
So is the alien creature/man who is watching them, and who - later - kidnaps Lana. He is stranded on this island for no logical reason. You would think, with his resources, that he'd just leave and go meet some people and stop being all lonely and bitter and stuff. But... no, he stays on the island, waiting for a woman with red hair to show up...
Also: he has a ray that completely strips Superboy's powers?! What the frak?
This is one of those tales where the conflict is resolved in a friendly way and everybody parts as friends at the end. I don't like those tales much, in context of a show like Superboy. This format works better with straightforward battles of good vs. evil.
Highlight? Doctor Who (daleks vs. cybermen)
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Doctor Who, Legend Of The Seeker, Supernatural, Superboy
