Monday, December 14th, 2009
05.00 Z Rock
05.30 Law And Order
06.30 Dexter
Z Rock. Season 2, Episode 4. The boys go on a road trip with Neil.
Weak. Big Jay is very funny as Neil, when Neil is used as a supporting character. A whole episode devoted to him? I'm not so sure.
On Z Rock David Zablidowsky, Paul Zablidowsky and Joey Cassata play three nice, normal guys. They're basically playing themselves, which doesn't lend itself easily to sitcom situations. Unless you treat them all as one character and surround 'him' with oddball extreme characters. Jerry was the normal character as the centre of Seinfeld, much as Alex was the normal character at the centre of Taxi. And it usually works well enough on Z Rock. Except here, where Neil's constant vandalism eventually grew a bit tiresome.
Law And Order. Season 20, Episode 1. "Memo From The Dark Side" McCoy goes after a government member, over a war policy that led to a death/murder.
The new season gets off to a weighty, and enjoyable, start with an episode that highlights the gravitas of character Jack McCoy and, indeed, the series itself. At it's best, the show can be exciting and stimulating and this is a perfect example of this.
The ending, too, is suitably downbeat and realistic and typical of what the show is capable of.
Dexter. Season 4, Episode 12. "The Getaway" Dexter vs. Trinity.
The best season-ender to the best season. Truly shocking. I did not see this coming. The episode was structured to make us expect a happy ending (like the show has always given us). And I was expecting to see Dexter emerge from the Trinity experience determined to never kill anyone again.
But, they surprised me.
In one way, the death of Rita is bad because it reduces her whole existence to nothing more than being an object which can have impact upon Dexter. His 'girlfriend', his 'wife', his 'dead wife'. All of these roles are part of the growth of Dexter. But take him out of the picture and she has no meaning in her own right. Which is a bit crap. If you choose to read it that way.
Of course, it must be said that Rita had become a less sympathetic character this season. She was becoming a real pain. But her presence in the show made Dexter (serial killer though he may be) a complete everyman. That's gone now.
But the show opens up a lot of great new story opportunities.
Highlight? Dexter (they surprised me)
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Z Rock, Law And Order, Dexter
