Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
05.00 30 Rock
05.30 The Closer
06.30 House
07.30 Castle
02.00 The Incredible Hulk
30 Rock. Season 4, Episode 5. "The Problem Solvers" New cast member arrives, and causes Jenna and Tracy to panic. Jack and Liz battle over the idea of a DealBreakers TV show.
Very funny. Liz takes (bad) advice from Jenna and ends up dealing with the agent from hell. And, of course, part of the solution comes from the fact that Jack and Liz have a solid friendship and he wants good things for her.
The Closer. Season 5, Episode 12. "Waivers of Extradition" Serial Killer.
Superb episode, with a great guest turn by Xander Berkeley, whose character here would make a great lead in a TV series.
Mostly though, this is an episode all about Brenda under pressure and it's a terrific episode. It also brings Charlie's story to a conclusion.
House. Season 6, Episode 8. "Ignorance is Bliss" Genius wants to be dumb.
House has been on a roll this season, so much so that I ended up really enjoying this episode, even though it is similar (in themes) to stories they have done before. Here's a guy who thinks his wife is too dumb for him when he's smart, so he sets about dumbing himself down to 'fit in' with her world. It's certainly thought-provoking stuff, but we've seen similar before on the show.
Never mind: there is lots of other stuff to savour. Cuddy's cruel trick on House will make you feel sad. Taub's hilarious lie to his wife (about hitting House) will make you chuckle.
Castle. Season 2, Episode 10. "One Man's Treasure" Dead guy, two women show up to claim the body.
Except for the fact that they give the daughter a really strong storyline in the police station, this is a perfect example of a typical (and good) episode of Castle. The story is a little bit quirky, but the ending is terrific and it's a hoot to watch Castle and the gang do their thing. The fact that (adorable) Alexis got a lot to do only served to make a good thing even better.
The Incredible Hulk. Episode 11. "Earthquakes Happen" Underground lab.
Yet another Season One episode that isn't confined by the formula that dominated the stories in later seasons (David has a job, he befriends someone, Hulks Out twice before moving on, having helped them).
This one opens with David Banner doing some very un-David Banner type things. In a quest for a cure, he's found some equipment at a research facility that could help him so he phones up an external advisor (due to make a visit to the facility) and postponed an intended inspection so he can take that person's place. Rare to find our hero posing a real person and lying to so many people in such a deliberate way (he even procures some fake ID in a great scene, showing that Banner is nobody's fool, no matter how desperate his situation has become) but that is how the episode opens, with David undercover as it were. This, of course, adds a whole new level of tension to the episode that we don't normally have right away. In episodes that feature Jack McGee we often have an element of "Will David Get Caught?" but this time out it's a major part of the story from the get go, as a scientist (Sherry Jackson) quickly grows suspicious and immediately starts checking into this new visitor.
The story is called "Earthquakes Happen" and that's what happens. Just as David is using the equipment that might help with his quest for a cure. The equipment is destroyed, and - thanks to a chain reaction - David and a few other people are trapped underground in the power plant facility. Even worse, it appears that the bad timing of David using the equipment at the time of the earthquake makes a nuclear accident almost unavoidable.
And there you have it. A group of people scrambling through smoke and debris, while alarms go off everywhere and they squabble about the fact that David might have caused a major nuclear event. Which is another unusual touch. David being held responsible by everybody for what might be about to happen. (Jeez, as if the guy hasn't enough to feel guilty about!) David's always the good guy. This time, by total accident, he's the bad guy of the piece! So, for maybe the only time in the whole series, the viewer could be almost critical of Banner. He's lying more than usual and pretend to be somebody he's not and behaving in an irresponsible way. Yes, it's a huge coincidence that there was an earthquake but the fact remains that he was the one who had the equipment up and running. Bad luck or not, it's his responsibility. And there are no lines in the script where he tries to shirk that responsibility. When other characters challenge him on this, David simply lets it go unchallenged. He was caught with his hand in the cookie jar and he knows it. He takes it on board, and he accepts it.
So, it's a very unusual episode. Banner's being treated like a bad guy by everybody, they are all trapped and facing death and - via hilariously outdated footage - we can see the nearby town being evacuated. ("Everyone in town, take your 1950s cars and drive on the motorway... Now!")
All told, the first season is all over the place, quality-wise. There are superb episodes and real stinkers. This one falls squarely in the middle. It's very novel and I'd gladly watch it again, but it's not an example of the show at it's best.
Highlight? Castle (Alexis)
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30 Rock, The Closer, House, Castle, The Incredible Hulk
